Gilas Pilipinas vs. Wellington Saints: Time, Live Stream for 2015 MVP Cup

The Philippines will face off with the Wellington Saints from New Zealand on Saturday after opening the 2015 MVP Cup with a victory over PBA side Talk 'N Text. The Saints also opened the event with a win over Chinese Taipei, meaning this matchup will likely decide the eventual tournament champion.

If the last meeting is any indication, it should be quite a battle. The teams faced off last week in the William Jones Cup. The Gilas Pilipinas used a seven-point rally in the fourth quarter to force overtime and went on to secure the win en route to a second-place finish in that event.

Let's check out all of the important information for Saturday's contest. That's followed by a preview and prediction for the second of three games both teams will play.

Game Details

Where: Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, Philippines

When: Saturday, Sept. 12 at 5 p.m. PHT (5 a.m. EDT)

Watch: Sports5

Live Stream: Sports5.ph (Philippines only)

Preview

Miguel Angel Morenatti/Associated Press

As expected, it was difficult to get much of a read on the Philippines' progress against Talk 'N Text on Friday. The game didn't feature the same type of intensity as most of the team's recent tournament games, coming off more as a friendly exhibition.

Terrence Romeo continued to play well with 22 points, six assists and five rebounds to lead the charge. Jayson Castro also had a strong showing for the Gilas Pilipinas, tallying 14 points, four assists and four rebounds in the win.

The game also marked the return of Andray Blatche, who had been away tending to family matters. While he had 12 points and five rebounds, he struggled to keep up with the pace of the game at times. Ryan Songalia of Rappler commented on the issue:

He's important to the team's chances in the upcoming FIBA Asia Championship due to the element of size he provides to the starting lineup. He must work hard over the next few weeks to get back into reliable game shape, though.

The matchup with Wellington should serve as a better indicator of what type of impact Blatche can make and where the team stands as a whole.

As mentioned, the last meeting between the teams developed into an instant classic. Head coach Tab Baldwin also likes how their lineup compares to that of some Asian Championship contenders, per Levi Verora Jr. of Swish Appeal:

"

Baldwin on Saints: It simulates Iran and China and that is the challenge we want.

— LVJ (@levijoshua) September 11, 2015"

The next two games—the Saints and then Chinese Taipei—are crucial for the Philippines. After that, the team will have just 10 days to recover from a busy stretch of games and put together its final preparations for the high-profile FIBA event.

Although the progress made since the Toyota Four Nations Cup in late August has been noticeable, the Gilas Pilipinas still have a lot of work to do. A strong showing against the side from New Zealand would at least be another step in the right direction.

Prediction: Philippines 81, Wellington Saints 77