Gilas Pilipinas vs. Talk 'N Text: Time, Live Stream for 2015 MVP Cup

The Philippines begins final preparations for the FIBA Asia Championship with a clash against PBA side Talk 'N Text on Friday in the 2015 MVP Cup. The Gilas Pilipinas, which are serving as the hosts for the event, are coming off a second-place finish in the William Jones Cup.

Lebanon originally joined the Philippines, Chinese Taipei and the Wellington Saints from New Zealand in the tournament field. It pulled out, citing "unexpected circumstances," though. The Tropang Texters joined as a late replacement for the round-robin showcase.

Let's check out all of the important information for the Day 1 matchup. That's followed by a preview and prediction as the Philippines attempts to build off its recent progress.

Game Details

Where: Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, Philippines

When: Friday, Sept. 11 at 7 p.m. PHT (7 a.m. EDT)

Watch: Sports5

Live Stream: Sports5.ph (Philippines only)

Preview

Miguel Angel Morenatti/Associated Press

The Philippines started its current whirlwind with an appearance in the Toyota Four Nations Cup last month. It opened the event with a loss to the Netherlands, which was lowlighted by a brutal 29-4 third quarter that showcased how much work the team had to do.

Although the Gilas Pilipinas lost all three of their games in that tournament, by the end they were making positive strides. That continued in the William Jones Cup. They went 6-2 despite being without Andray Blatche, who was away tending to a family matter.

One of the losses came against Iran, the reigning Asian Champions, which beat the Philippines in the championship game two years ago. So while there were more signs of progress, the team wasn't quite yet in top form.

Head coach Tab Baldwin confirmed that ahead of the MVP Cup amid persistent questions about the team's status, per Musong R. Castillo of the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

"You want me to give you percentages again," Baldwin said. "I don't know. We're better, but we're not good enough. Are we close? No, not really."

He also commented on the return of Blatche, who's a vital element to the team's success but must get back up to speed with the rest of the squad.

"Andray comes in again and we have to incorporate everything with that," Baldwin said. "That's a process, and it takes time. It cannot be done overnight."

By the time this tournament ends Sunday, the Philippines will have played 14 games in 24 days. That's a lot of action, to say the least. But it was a necessary evil to make a lot of progress in such a short period of time before the Asian Championship.

The Gilas Pilipinas should handle Talk 'N Text without much issue. Not only are they the more in-form squad, but they also feature three of the Tropang Texters' top players: Ranidel de Ocampo, Matt Ganuelas-Rosser and Jayson Castro.

So, the opener is more of a chance to get everybody involved. The matchups against Wellington and Chinese Taipei are more important in terms of being a litmus test. But, as has been the case throughout this stretch, the Philippines must make positive strides in each contest.

Prediction: Philippines 79, Talk 'N Text 61