Coach Chot Reyes has been holding practice sessions with the rest of the Gilas Pilipinas national men’s team without TNT’s Roger Pogoy and Barangay Ginebra’s Japeth Aguilar.
Pogoy was not around during regular Monday night scrimmages at the Meralco gym and after suffering a bone bruise on his left ankle last Friday during TNT’s encounter versus Meralco in the PBA Governor’s Cup last Friday at the SMAaRT Araneta Coliseum.
They will also play without Aguilar due to an MCL sprain.
Reyes has brought in deputy coach Tim Cone to be at the practices, which will wrap up on Wednesday.
Gilas will battle it out with Lebanon on Friday at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan, before they get ready for Jordan on Monday.
The Filipinos are sitting in third place in Group E behind Lebanon (7-1) and New Zealand (6-2) in the standings.
Gilas has a 5-3 slate and are coming from back-to-back wins on the road opposite Jordan (74-66) and Saudi Arabia (76-63).
Japan-based Thirdy Ravena, Dwight Ramos, Ray Parks, and Jordan Heading have joined the Gilas sessions for the first time for the sixth window.
They will have three-time PBA Best import Justin Brownlee, who debuts for the team as a naturalized player.