Gilas Pilipinas looked dominant when it crushed Ivory Coast during their tune-up match, 85-62, on Friday night at the PhilSports Arena.

For the first time this year, the nationals fielded both Jordan Clarkson and Kai Sotto as they plunged into their final preparations for the FIBA World Cup.

But coach Chot Reyes said they are up to a more challenging task when they square off with another scrimmage, this time against Montenegro on Sunday.

• Clarkson, Sotto, Thompson impress as Gilas pool finally complete

“Oh, Montenegro, that’s a very different team, mas malakas yan, European style, [Nikola] Vucevic is there, a bonafide NBA starter for his team, and some others,” said Reyes.

“Diyan, mapapalaban talaga tayo. But we’ll see. We’re looking to play better in the Montenegro game than we did today.”

The August 20 tune-up is at 8 p.m. also at PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.

Montenegro, which clinched a World Cup berth on the last game day of the European Qualifiers in November last year, is ranked No. 18 in the world.

It is propelled by Vucevic, a 6-foot-9 forward from the Chicago Bulls, 6-foot-7 Bojan Dubljevic, and shooters Vladimir Mihailovic and Dino Radoncic.

Gilas Pilipinas will wrap up its tune-up matches on Monday against world No. 31 Mexico at the same time and venue.

The closed-door match with the Ivorians, who have defending champion Spain, Iran, and Brazil as company in Group G in Jakarta, Indonesia, was the first of three scheduled friendlies for the Philippine team before its inaugural game against the Dominican Republic on August 25 at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan.

Utah Jazz's Clarkson, the former NBA sixth man, and six-time PBA MVP June Mar Fajardo spearheaded Gilas Pilipinas against Ivory Coast.

• Basketball: Gilas manhandles Ivory Coast by more than 20 points

Clarkson scored all of his 13 points in the first half. Reyes said fielding the NBA star without relief in the fast and furious first half was by design.

“Pinag-usapan talaga namin yon, he’ll play the whole first half kasi kailangan nyang makuha yung kanyang game wind. And then he starts sa third, and if kailangan siya sa fourth, babalik siya. Eh di na kinailangan so okay na yon, pahinga, prepare na lang for the next game,” said Reyes.

Clarkson committed four turnovers, most of them blinding passes that recipients couldn't handle, indicating a need for more familiarity with each other.

“There were still some kinks offensively, the turnovers, kasi first time naglaro sila ng kumpleto di ba?” said Reyes.

“We have to keep working on that. But I was very pleased with the defense, especially sa second half. Trinabaho talaga namin yon sa Europe and sa China.”