MIES (Switzerland) - Action will be intense right in the opening gameday of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers' second window given what's at stake for some teams, especially the unscathed ones.
The Philippines, Australia, Japan, and Korea - all of which are toting 2-0 records following a successful Window 1 - could all advance to the Second Round with a win in their respective matches on Thursday, February 26.
The Boomers will open Window 2 action on the road against Guam at Mangilao Village, before the Japanese take on China in Okinawa in yet another heavyweight bout between two long-time continental forces.
Team Korea will be taking on Chinese Taipei in New Taipei City in another all-East Asia offering for the third game of the day, while Gilas will cap the night off when they host budding rivals New Zealand in Pasay City.
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Australia have won their last 13 games played in the World Cup Qualifiers; however, their two games in this campaign ended with margins of five points or fewer after seeing 21 of their previous 23 games played ending with double-digit margins.
Mitch Creek is back with Australia in the World Cup Qualifiers, after not taking part in any game during the qualification for the 2023 tournament; Creek is averaging 14.0 points and 7.7 rebounds per game in the Qualifiers, scoring in double-digits in each of his six games played.
Japan have won their last seven games in the World Cup Qualifiers and their four home games in that run ended with margins of 23+ points; however, China are the only team that managed to secure multiple wins on Japanese soil in the competition, both in November 2021.
Korea have won their last 10 games played in the World Cup Qualifiers, scoring 80+ points in every contest in that span. They have prevented their opponents from leading by more than three points in five of their last seven games played.
Hyunjung Lee has scored 20+ points in each of his first two games in the World Cup Qualifiers, but only one player has scored 20 or more points in each of his first three appearances in the competition in the Asia region (Amir Jabbar Hinton, with Syria).
The Philippines and New Zealand already faced each other two times previously in the World Cup Qualifiers with the Tall Blacks winning on both occasions by margins of 25+ points and preventing the Philippines to score more than 63 points.
The Philippines have won six of their last seven games in the World Cup Qualifiers but the sole defeat in that span came at home (90-91 v Jordan, February 2023). They scored 90+ points in each of their last three home games in the competition.
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