Gilas Pilipinas coach Tim Cone had been firm in his belief that this Gilas Pilipinas iteration could beat New Zealand, the country’s tormentor four previous times, in Window 2 of the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers.
On Thursday night, in a packed Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena, the national team turned that belief into reality, edging out the Tall Blacks, 93-89, in a game that was as good as advertised—if not better.
But, early on, it looked like New Zealand was primed to beat the Philippines for a fifth straight outing as it opened the game with eight straight points. The nationals slowly but surely found a semblance of rhythm and began chipping away, ultimately ending the first just down by two, 22-20.
The Tall Blacks again stepped on the gas pedal to start the second, building the lead back to 28-20 behind the hot hands of veteran Corey Webster. But, as they did in the latter half of the opening canto, Gilas Pilipinas again came alive, this time led by Scottie Thompson, eventually tying the game at 45 going to intermission.
Gilas Clamps Down in the Third, Hangs on in the Fourth
Gilas and the Tall Blacks again slugged it out after halftime, with the Oceania powerhouse taking a 60-56 lead at the halfway mark of the third period.
Then, the nationals turned on the jets on defense, clamping down on the prolific New Zealand offense on their way to a scintillating 16-0. From down 60-56, Gilas suddenly found itself ahead, 72-60, with the blue-clad jampacked MOA crowd rocking. A Webster long bomb stopped the bleeding for the Tall Blacks, who entered the final canto trailing, 72-63.
But New Zealand fought back in the fourth using crisp ball movement and precise outside shooting. The visitors even got to within four a couple of times, the last one at 88-84. That’s when Gilas veteran Chris Newsome wiggled free for an open three that he calmly sank to give the home team breathing room, 91-84. Gilas held on, with Justin Brownlee hitting a pair of freebies for the final score.
Brownlee led the way for Gilas, finishing with 26 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. Kai Sotto was spectacular as well, contributing 19 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. Thompson and Chris Newsome also proved steady for Gilas, with Thompson chipping in 12 points, 4 rebounds, and 6 assists and Newsome adding 11 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists.
Webster carried the fight for the Tall Blacks with 25 markers on 5-for-6 from the arc, while former Converge FiberXers import Tom Vodanovich finished with 19 points on 5-for-7 from downtown.
Gilas Closer to Booking FIBA Asia Cup Ticket
With the win, Gilas remained unbeaten in the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers and moved closer to clinching a spot in the FIBA Asia Cup, to be held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on August 5–17.
The Scores
- Gilas 93 – Brownlee 25, Sotto 19, Thompson 12, Newsome 11, Ramos 11, Fajardo 6, Perez 3, Oftana 3, Tamayo 2
- Tall Blacks 89 – Webster 25, Vodanovich 19, Waardenburg 19, Britt 8, Le’afa 6, Brown 5, Harris 3, Cameron 2, Harrison 2
