CHINESE TAIPEI made a clear statement today: their previous win was no fluke, as they pulled off a commanding 95-87 victory over Gilas Pilipinas in the opening game of the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
It’s not exactly the kind of result Gilas Pilipinas fans hoped to wake up to, as the Taiwanese squad delivered another upset that immediately dented the Philippines’ gold medal hopes, early Wednesday morning.
After more than 12 years without a win against the Philippines, Chinese-Taipei has now strung together two straight victories over them in just six months, starting from their breakthrough win in the final window of the qualifiers.
As a result, the tides may be shifting. The Philippines drop to 0-1 in Group D, joining Iraq, while Chinese-Taipei and New Zealand now share the early lead in the group with one win each.
Slow Start, Tough Finish
Gilas Pilipinas got off to a promising start with a flawless alley-oop from Chris Newsome to Justin Brownlee, but that would be their only lead of the game, as they trailed 16-27 by the end of the opening quarter.
A short-lived rally in the second frame, led by Newsome, Scottie Thompson, and AJ Edu, trimmed the deficit to 32-36. However, Chinese-Taipei quickly regained control, stretching their lead back to 43-34.
From that point on, it was an uphill battle for the Filipinos. Chinese-Taipei stayed composed and consistent in the third quarter, widening the gap and heading into the fourth with a 71-59 advantage.
Kevin Quiambao sparked a last-ditch Gilas run, pouring in 10 straight points—including a step-back three that brought the score to 74-80 with 4:49 remaining. But the momentum didn’t last.
Just moments later, Brownlee—who had been in foul trouble since the third—picked up his fifth and final foul with 4:31 left. His exit dealt a major blow to the team’s comeback hopes after a strong first-half showing.
Photo Courtesy: FIBA
Brownlee finished the game with 19 points on 8-of-15 shooting, along with seven rebounds and two assists. Kevin Quiambao was a bright spot, scoring all 17 of his points in the second half, while also grabbing four boards.
Thompson gave everything with 16 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and a steal. Dwight Ramos also made his presence felt in the second half, finishing with 16 points, six assists, four rebounds, and one steal.
On the other side, Yin-Chun Chen lit up the scoreboard with a game-high 34 points, including 6-of-8 from three-point range—accounting for half of Chinese-Taipei’s total makes from deep.
Naturalized center Brandon Gilbeck provided solid support with 16 points on a flawless 4-of-4 shooting clip, along with nine rebounds. Robert Hinton and Ting-Chien Lin chipped in 14 points apiece to seal the victory.
Onto the Next
Gilas Pilipinas head coach Tim Cone emphasized in the post-game press conference that the team’s sluggish start made a big impact, as it gave Chinese-Taipei early control and set the tone for the rest of the game.
“Obviously, we didn’t play a very good one. Disappointed with the way we play, we got behind early in the game and just played on our heels the whole way like we’re in a panic mode for 40 minutes,” Cone said.
“We’re really hurt by the loss, but we’ll see what we can do. We have to see if we could come back from this and move forward. That’s the only thing we can do at this point,” he went on to say.
Meanwhile, Cone took the moment to praise Kevin Quiambao for rising to the occasion, noting how his recent stint in Sacramento clearly boosted his confidence when it mattered most.
“As for Kevin, he played very, very well. He was definitely the highlight of our team tonight. He came out and played with a lot of energy, hitting some big shots for us. However, we still came up short,” Cone said.
Putting this setback behind them, Gilas Pilipinas must regroup and refocus as they aim to bounce back, with a tough challenge ahead against world No. 22 New Zealand tomorrow at 11:00 p.m. (Philippine Time).
