SPORTS
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Gilas Pilipinas Falters Again As New Zealand Holds Off Late Rally, 94-86
Photo credit: FIBA Asia via SBP
Gilas Pilipinas found itself in another uphill battle at the 31st FIBA Asia Cup in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and despite a spirited comeback, the Philippines suffered its second straight defeat—this time at the hands of New Zealand, 94-86.
The Tall Blacks looked firmly in control early, building an 18-point lead in the first half. But Gilas refused to fold, clawing back and cutting the deficit to just three, 85-82, after Justin Brownlee drilled a crucial three-pointer late in the game.
New Zealand, however, showed composure in crunch time. Point guard Taylor Britt took charge, scoring on consecutive drives to push the lead back to seven, effectively sealing the win for the Tall Blacks.
Brownlee was the heart and soul of the Philippine offense, putting up a game-high 37 points on a sizzling 7-of-12 shooting from beyond the arc, along with five rebounds and three assists. Dwight Ramos added 19 points, four boards, and three steals, while June Mar Fajardo bounced back from a quiet game against Chinese Taipei with 11 points and four rebounds.
Still, the efforts weren’t enough to prevent Gilas from slipping to 0-2 in Group D, leaving them on the brink of elimination. The team now faces a must-win clash against Iraq on Saturday to keep its playoff hopes alive. Iraq, like the Philippines, is winless at 0-2 after falling to Chinese Taipei, 87-60.
“We’re disappointed that we’ve lost two in a row. I don’t think we all saw that coming,” said Gilas head coach Tim Cone postgame.
For New Zealand, Jordan Ngatai provided the early fireworks, exploding for 19 of his 22 points in the first half while shooting a near-perfect 7-of-8 from the field, including a flawless 5-of-5 from three. Britt backed him up with 19 points and seven assists, while Flynn Cameron added 12. The Tall Blacks, now 2-0, will battle fellow unbeaten Chinese Taipei for the top spot in Group D.
The second quarter proved pivotal. New Zealand buried six triples in that stretch alone, including back-to-back makes from Mojave King and Jack Andrew to open up their biggest lead at 55-37. By halftime, the Tall Blacks had already gone 9-of-15 from deep, with Ngatai carrying much of the load.
Gilas had its moments, ending the first half with a small surge sparked by Brownlee and Kevin Quiambao to trim the gap to 55-41. But in the end, the early damage and New Zealand’s late-game execution left the Philippines still searching for its first win.
The Tall Blacks looked firmly in control early, building an 18-point lead in the first half. But Gilas refused to fold, clawing back and cutting the deficit to just three, 85-82, after Justin Brownlee drilled a crucial three-pointer late in the game.
New Zealand, however, showed composure in crunch time. Point guard Taylor Britt took charge, scoring on consecutive drives to push the lead back to seven, effectively sealing the win for the Tall Blacks.
Brownlee was the heart and soul of the Philippine offense, putting up a game-high 37 points on a sizzling 7-of-12 shooting from beyond the arc, along with five rebounds and three assists. Dwight Ramos added 19 points, four boards, and three steals, while June Mar Fajardo bounced back from a quiet game against Chinese Taipei with 11 points and four rebounds.
Still, the efforts weren’t enough to prevent Gilas from slipping to 0-2 in Group D, leaving them on the brink of elimination. The team now faces a must-win clash against Iraq on Saturday to keep its playoff hopes alive. Iraq, like the Philippines, is winless at 0-2 after falling to Chinese Taipei, 87-60.
“We’re disappointed that we’ve lost two in a row. I don’t think we all saw that coming,” said Gilas head coach Tim Cone postgame.
For New Zealand, Jordan Ngatai provided the early fireworks, exploding for 19 of his 22 points in the first half while shooting a near-perfect 7-of-8 from the field, including a flawless 5-of-5 from three. Britt backed him up with 19 points and seven assists, while Flynn Cameron added 12. The Tall Blacks, now 2-0, will battle fellow unbeaten Chinese Taipei for the top spot in Group D.
The second quarter proved pivotal. New Zealand buried six triples in that stretch alone, including back-to-back makes from Mojave King and Jack Andrew to open up their biggest lead at 55-37. By halftime, the Tall Blacks had already gone 9-of-15 from deep, with Ngatai carrying much of the load.
Gilas had its moments, ending the first half with a small surge sparked by Brownlee and Kevin Quiambao to trim the gap to 55-41. But in the end, the early damage and New Zealand’s late-game execution left the Philippines still searching for its first win.
Aug 8, 2025
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