JEDDAH (Saudi Arabia) - Taking home another medal is what New Zealand would want to accomplish but they're under no illusion that it's going to be easy as a tough Group Phase awaits them in the FIBA Asia Cup 2025.
The 2022 bronze medalists are situated in Group D along with teams they have grown so familiar with over the years given the amount of times they've crossed paths - the Philippines and Chinese Taipei, in particular.
In fact, those three belonged in the same pool during the recent Continental Cup Qualifiers, and even took turns making headlines particularly during the second and third windows much to their respective fans' delight.
Gilas took Window 2 by storm when they stunned the Tall Blacks, 93-89, in Manila, laying to rest a winless four-game spell against them - a skid that started in the 2016 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
New Zealand, though, managed to earn a measure of payback through an 87-70 rout come Window 3.
Prior to that game, the Philippines bowed as well to Chinese Taipei by way of a 91-84 decision, falling to a Lu Chun-hsiang dagger to eventually deal Gilas their first loss of the 2025 Asia Cup Qualifiers.
Months later and the troika are set to face each other once more in the tournament proper, with the stakes, needless to say, much higher as all competitors vie for supremacy in the continent.
New Zealand remain the favorites given their podium finish in the previous edition held in Jakarta but sweeping Group D may not be as manageable as it seems given the history they share with the other two.
Add to that the hunger both the Philippines and Chinese Taipei are feeling coming into the August 5-17 competitions, especially after bowing out of the Qualification to Quarter-Finals in 2022.
That kind of finish hurt the Southeast Asian force the most, no doubt, given the fact that they were the silver medalists during the two Asia Cup meets prior - in 2013 in Manila, and then in 2015 in Changsha.
Much of the attention will be in these three squads for sure, but lest we forget that there's still another team in the cluster which could pull off some surprises and cause shake-ups in the standings: Iraq.
Bound for only their fifth Asia Cup stint, the present-day Lions of Mesopotamia are entering the games with renewed confidence after a solid showing in the Qualifying Tournament for Third-Place Teams.
Held in Manama, the Iraqis split their assignments, with their 85-72 victory over the more favored Bahrain the most important of them all as it enabled them to complete the 16-team cast for the 2025 Asia Cup.
The highly anticipated tournament raises its curtains on Tuesday at the King Abdullah Sports City, with New Zealand and Iraq serving as the opening act as they're set to lock horns at 11:00 local time.
For the complete Group D schedule, click here.
FIBA