- Gilas Pililipinas faces a must win game against Iraq in its final group phase game in the 2025 Fiba Asia Cup.
- Gilas Pilipinas and Iraq are tied at the bottom of Group D, both winless at 0-2.
August 9, Saturday
4 pm – Gilas Pilipinas vs Iraq
Justin Brownlee (No. 32) has been consistent for Gilas, whose back is against the wall heading into match with Iraq.—FIBA.COM PHOTO .
Dropping the first two games of the Fiba Asia Cup surely comes at a cost, and Gilas Pilipinas will have to go through the wringer in order to go on a deep run in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Gilas goes into Saturday’s 4 p.m. (Philippine time) contest with Iraq at King Abdullah Sports City with a sense of desperation after its comeback attempts fell short against Chinese-Taipei on Wednesday and then New Zealand on Thursday night, when the Kiwis handed the Philippines a 94-86 defeat.
“The tournament’s not over us,” embattled national team coach Tim Cone said, referring to the task of beating the Iraqis to be able to enter qualification for a spot in the quarterfinals. The flip side of that is taking a shock loss, which will shove the Filipinos to the exits.
New Zealand’s main man Jordan Ngatai during its clash against Gilas Pilipinas in the 2025 Fiba Asia Cup. –FIBA PHOTO
For the second straight game in the Fiba Asia Cup, Gilas Pilipinas was left to rue its struggles defending the three-point shot–an issue coach Tim Cone looks to address with his team on the brink of an early exit.
“It’s more of a mental adjustment than anything else,” Cone said after Gilas’ 94-86 loss to New Zealand in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. “It’s just something we got to talk about and work on and try to figure out why teams are shooting so well [against us.]”
Gilas’ woes continued against the Tall Blacks, who knocked down 13 out of 26 attempts, including a perfect 5-of-5 clip from one of their reliables in Jordan Ngatai.
Gilas Pilipinas June Mar Fajardo during its game against New Zealand in the 2025 Fiba Asia Cup. –FIBA BASKETBALL
June Mar Fajardo had a more respectable showing amid the stinging loss to New Zealand that dropped Gilas Pilipinas on the brink of a possible early exit in the Fiba Asia Cup.
Fajardo finished with 11 points and four rebounds after appearing for 25 minutes as a starter in Gilas’ 94-86 loss on Thursday at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
While there were times when New Zealand was able to make its way over Fajardo, it was still an improvement for the big man from his previous showing when Gilas began the continental tournament on a rough note.
The Filipino crowd watching Gilas Pilipinas in action during the 2025 Fiba Asia Cup. –FIBA PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines–It looked like Gilas Pilipinas was down and out in the early stages of its Group D match against New Zealand in the 2025 Fiba Asia Cup.
That was until the Philippines’ sixth man came alive to spark a comeback rally.
And no, the sixth man wasn’t beside coach Tim Cone on the sidelines. They were scattered all over King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
“I think the crowd definitely played a big part especially when we were making a run,” said Dwight Ramos, who dropped 19 points against. New Zealand.
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