Tim Cone is confident that June Mar Fajardo will be fully fit for Gilas’ 2025 FIBA Asia Cup 

The Philippine men’s basketball national team’s tune-up game for the upcoming 2025 FIBA Asia Cup ended in the best possible way, as they secured a 103–98 victory over the Macau Black Bears at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Monday, July 28.

Gilas Pilipinas’ star naturalized player Justin Brownlee once again led from the front, marking his return to competitive action by recording 32 points and sparking a 21-point comeback with 5-of-7 shooting from beyond the arc. Brownlee, playing his first game for Gilas since suffering a dislocated thumb during the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals, also added 15 rebounds and five assists.

However, Gilas was without key players June Mar Fajardo and Calvin Oftana, who were rested following their grueling schedules in the PBA Philippine Cup. Fajardo played through a calf issue in the finals, while Oftana suffered multiple injuries, including sprains to both ankles.

“THE GOAL IS TO WIN THE GOLD MEDAL.”

This is coach Tim Cone’s marching orders for Gilas Pilipinas after a 103-93 win over Macau ahead of the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup in Jeddah, KSA on Aug. 5-17, 2025. | via @bryanulanday pic.twitter.com/TQQzQxfMpF

— The Philippine Star (@PhilippineStar) July 28, 2025

Gilas head coach Tim Cone is not concerned about Fajardo’s availability, as he expects the record eight-time PBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) to resume training when they arrive in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

“June Mar will have two or three more days off from physical activities. But we expect him to start practicing when we arrive in Jeddah.”

The American tactician acknowledged that the center is a key part of his team and tactical system and that they must employ a different approach in his absence.

“He changes the game for us. We have to play a different way with June Mar on the floor. He has such an impact that you have to play differently when he is on the floor,” he added.

Gilas Pilipinas flew to Jeddah on Wednesday, July 30, and will face Jordan in a friendly on Saturday, August 2. They have been drawn into Group D of the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup alongside Iraq, New Zealand, and Chinese Taipei. Gilas will open their campaign against Chinese Taipei on August 6.

Cone acknowledged that his team does not have much time to ensure that Fajardo is fully fit, and it will be intriguing to see what lineup he uses, as Gilas is also without star center Kai Sotto, who has been sidelined due to an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in his knee since January.

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