(UPDATE) EVEN as a 29-year-old FIBA Basketball World Cup attendance record begs to be broken, and a revered venue looks to add another milestone to its fabled existence, Gilas Pilipinas will make its way to the 55,000-capacity Philippine Arena on August 25 and the historic Smart Araneta Coliseum on August 27 and 29 with only one thing in mind — defend its homecourt at all cost.

Invading forces will come from far and wide — Dominican Republic from the Caribbean, Angola from the African continent and Italy from fabulous Europe — with the Philippines, bracketed in Group A, tasked with taking out at least two of the three to stay alive and advance to the second round of the Group Stage where the top two teams from Group B, made up of South Sudan, Serbia, China and Puerto Rico, will be waiting.