GILAS PILIPINAS ensured that no fan left the SM Mall of Asia Arena disappointed, as they defended their home court and narrowly defeated New Zealand 93-89 to end their 4-0 curse on Thursday evening, November 21.
After losing all four meetings with the Tall Blacks, Gilas finally won in front of thousands of Filipinos at their key game in the second window of the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers hosted by the country.
The national team went on a massive third-quarter run while actively hitting down clutch shots in important situations, which was the primary reason they were able to defeat the world’s No. 22-ranked club.
Despite the victory, Gilas faced a significant task in containing the Kiwis’ hot shooting night and aggressiveness down below, giving them a hard time determining how to defend and counter the visiting team’s play.
Slow start
The Filipinos had a slow start to the game, but they made sure to deliver when it was most needed. At the end of the first quarter, the squad found themselves behind early against the Kiwis.
However, just as when the Talk Blacks were getting into a flow and connecting on timely shots, Gilas Pilipinas was able to narrow the gap and end the first quarter with a 20-22 deficit.
Despite being behind 20-28 in the second quarter, Gilas Pilipinas was able to level the game at 45 thanks to Scottie Thompson’s personal nine-point run, which energized the entire squad and the audience.
Down goes New Zealand
Gilas trailed 56-60 in the third quarter after a three-pointer by Sam Waardenburg with 4:33 minutes left. The national squad, on the other hand, was eager to turn up the tempo and secure a victory.
Thompson, Kai Sotto, Justin Brownlee, Chris Newsome, and Carl Tamayo work together to turn things around and regain the lead for good.
The nationals embarked on a 16-0 run to transform a four-point deficit into a 72-60 advantage late in the third quarter in front of a raucous home crowd that filled the Pasay arena to capacity.
With less than two minutes left, Brownlee converted two critical free throws to increase Gilas’ advantage to four, 88-84. Gilas led 91-84 after Newsome struck the dagger three-pointer.
The Tall Blacks still had over a minute to close the gap, but they only got as close as two, 91-89, as Brownlee sealed the game with a brilliant trip to the foul line with only 11 ticks left.
The pillar of Gilas program
Brownlee continued his strong performance for the Philippines, ending with a double-double of 26 points and 11 rebounds, along with four assists, two steals and two blocks.
Despite the fact that the naturalized player leads the squad in scoring, the attention remains on Sotto. He nearly had a triple-double, finishing with 19 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, and two massive blocks.
Sotto, who is 7-foot-3 big man, has been a staple of the Gilas program and is now a regular contributor to the team. Last night’s game showed the results of his years of hard effort.
“I think it’s just a great team win,” said Sotto. “Everybody contributed and I’m just very happy that we got the win. Really worked hard in terms of preparation and coming into this game.”
“We just want to bring our A game because we know how good New Zealand is and we really respect them as a team. I’m just happy we got the win and hopefully, we get another one on Sunday against Hong Kong,” he added.
Hardwork pays off
Gilas head coach Tim Cone praised Sotto for his dedication to the squad, which he demonstrated by keeping up with teammates in training after completing the protocols due to a concussion he experienced.
“I just love the commitment that Kai is showing, coming in everyday and everytime, coming in early,” said Cone of Sotto, who just received his clearance few days before last night’s crucial game.
“They are going to two-a-day practices, poor guy [Sotto] had to go through two-a-day practices coming off a concussion. And still battled through it all. And everybody is doing the same,” he added.
Aside from the 22-year-old big man, Thompson also had a strong performance, finishing with 12 points, four rebounds, and six assists. The Ginebra star also energized the entire team during his second quarter run.
Newsome backed them up, finishing with a complete statline of 11 points, four rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Dwight Ramos recorded 11 points, six rebounds, and four assists.
The Philippines will attempt to sweep Hong Kong in the qualifiers on Sunday (Nov. 24), following a 94-64 win in an away game on Feb. 22. The visiting squad is coming off a beating to Chinese Taipei on Thursday night.
