“GIVE me the ball and clear out”—that was Justin Brownlee’s order, and he delivered with everything he had when it mattered most, leading Gilas Pilipinas into the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup Quarterfinals.

It was another stellar showing from the Philippines’ naturalized player, delivering clutch plays that shattered the hopes of host nation Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) in overtime, where the national team dominated to secure a 95-88 victory.

Even with a depleted 10-man roster—Calvin Oftana ruled out pre-game and CJ Perez sidelined early with a sprained ankle—Gilas Pilipinas showed that “puso” will always triumph over adversity.

Out of the Gate

Gilas Pilipinas came out firing in their knockout match, showing unmatched intensity from the tip-off and igniting the Filipino fans who packed King Abdullah Sports City—despite expectations of a pro-Saudi crowd.

Justin Brownlee and Kevin Quiambao set the tone early, with the latter sparking a personal seven-point burst that helped the Nationals close the first quarter with a strong 25-15 advantage.

Compared to their previous three outings, this was easily the sharpest start they’ve had. But the momentum shifted quickly as the second quarter began.

Saudi Arabia’s naturalized player and top scorer, Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman, caught fire, hitting consecutive threes and a tough drive to level the score at 26.

Midway through the quarter, Saudi briefly grabbed the lead, riding Abdur-Rahkman’s 14-point surge. But with AJ Edu stepping up defensively and contesting key shots, Gilas regained control to finish the half ahead, 40-37.

Two Stars Weren’t Enough

After being limited in the first half due to foul trouble, Mohammed Alsuwailem came alive in the third quarter, scoring eight straight points with impressive low-post moves to keep Saudi Arabia within reach.

A strong drive by Abdur-Rahkman gave the hosts a 52-50 lead at the 3-minute mark. But Gilas responded with key baskets from Edu, Dwight Ramos, and Chris Newsome to narrowly hold on to a 60-59 lead heading into the fourth.

The Saudi duo, however, stayed hot in the final period. Their momentum peaked when Abdur-Rahkman found a cutting Alsuwailem for a bucket-and-one, pushing Saudi Arabia to their biggest lead of the night at 77-71.

Just as the game seemed to be slipping away, Brownlee delivered a spark. He nailed his first free throw with 1:22 left, missed the second, grabbed his own rebound, and drilled a jumper to close the gap to 74-77.

On the next possession, Scottie Thompson came up with a massive block on Alsuwailem. That sequence led to a clutch baseline assist from Quiambao to Edu, who finished with an up-and-under, cutting the deficit to 76-77.

With the game on the line, Saudi Arabia trusted Abdur-Rahkman, but his three-point attempt missed everything. Fortunately for them, Alsuwailem was in the right spot to clean it up, extending the lead to 79-76.

Built for the Moment

With just 8.4 seconds on the clock, Gilas Pilipinas drew up a final play for a potential game-tying three. Despite being tightly guarded, Brownlee nailed an off-balance shot to send the game into overtime, 79-all.

Having already delivered in regulation, Brownlee turned playmaker in the extra period, setting up Quiambao for a wide-open corner triple that gave Gilas an early 82-79 edge. Things tilted further in their favor after Marzouq Almuwallad was whistled for an unsportsmanlike foul.

On that same possession, Quiambao attempted another three but missed—only for Ramos to clean it up with a putback. Khalid Abdel Gabar finally responded for Saudi with a second-chance bucket, trimming the deficit to four.

Brownlee answered with another mid-range jumper, then Quiambao drained a clutch three to stretch the gap to nine. On consecutive trips, both Abdur-Rahkman and Alsuwailem missed key free throws, opening the door for Edu to knock down a timely triple amidst Saudi’s collapse.

Chris Newsome then sealed the deal with two steady free throws, giving back Gilas their largest lead of the night at 95-85, before Abdur-Rahkman hit a meaningless three to close the game at 95-88—a thrilling come-from-behind win for Gilas Pilipinas.

Puso All the Way

Brownlee led the charge with 29 points, four rebounds, and five assists. Supporting him were Quiambao and Edu, who each tallied 17 points, with the latter also grabbing 11 boards for a solid double-double.

The Ginebra resident import was named TCL Player of the Game—a well-deserved recognition as he once again played with unmatched heart. Matching his energy, the Filipino fans in the stands roared with passion, pouring their hearts into every moment of the game.

“Our fans. Whether we’re losing, whether we’re winning, we can make one big play and they start cheering their hearts out. They gave us that spark, to be honest,” Brownlee said during the post-game interview.

“We were a little bit down, you know, especially being here in Saudi, that’s their home and home crowd, and the atmosphere was great. But they came out and played very well. Gotta give them a lot of credit.”

“They really gave us a hard-fought game. But I say our fans is the biggest reason that gave us that spark towards the end of the game and make us keep going,” he went on to say, citing the Filipino fans’ presence as their motivation.

As anticipated, Abdur-Rahkman spearheaded Saudi Arabia’s offense in the loss, finishing with 33 points, five rebounds, and four assists. Alsuwailem also delivered a strong double-double, putting up 26 points and 14 boards.

With Saudi Arabia now behind them, Gilas Pilipinas shifts focus to their biggest challenge yet—going up against Group A’s top seed and world No. 7, Australia, on August 13.