GO BIG or go home — that’s exactly the situation Gilas Pilipinas finds itself in as they prepare to face 2025 FIBA Asia Cup host Saudi Arabia in a qualifying knockout match for a spot in the Quarter-Finals.
After securing their breakthrough victory of the tournament on Saturday with a hard-fought 66-57 win over Iraq, the Philippines has earned a chance to vie for a quarter-final berth.
As anticipated, Gilas Pilipinas (1-2) advanced to the qualifying round after placing third in Group D, setting up a clash with Group C’s second seed, Saudi Arabia (2-1), on Tuesday at 12:00 a.m.
Earlier this morning, FIBA released the official standings of all four groups’ top-seeded teams, granting automatic quarter-final spots to Group A’s Australia, Group B’s Iran, Group C’s China, and Group D’s New Zealand.
Tough Times Ahead
Tim Cone and his squad will have to tap into their trademark “Never Say Die” spirit to move forward, but blocking their path are the Asia Cup hosts, who are equally determined to continue their campaign.
The Cone-led squad is fresh off a gritty win over Iraq this past weekend—a result that required Gilas to embrace Barangay Ginebra’s NSD mindset to keep their campaign alive in Jeddah.
“What I like about our team is we just don’t quit. We just keep on coming. Back home, we call it the ‘Never Say Die’ attitude. Obviously, we don’t want to rely on that all the time, but we hope that will be the one to get us forward,” he said.
However, the road only gets steeper for the Philippines in their pursuit of Asian dominance. Even if World No. 34 Gilas gets past No. 65 Saudi Arabia, a daunting challenge awaits in the quarterfinals—a team chasing a three-peat.
Should they advance, Gilas will face Asia’s powerhouse and World No. 7 Australia in the next round, with little time to recover, as the matchup is currently set for August 13, according to FIBA’s website.
Cone, however, recognizes the tough road ahead, admitting that while the challenge is undoubtedly immense, they are fully prepared to take on the path they have chosen for themselves.
“We know the road is going to be tough,” the Philippine Basketball Association’s winningest tactician said. “We know that we picked a tougher road to go, but, you know, we’re ready to accept that challenge.”
Game Time
Eight teams that placed second and third in their respective groups are set to battle over the next two days, vying for the remaining four quarter-final spots up for grabs.
The playoff action began Monday (Philippine Time) with Chinese Taipei taking on Jordan, followed by Gilas Pilipinas facing Saudi Arabia at midnight Tuesday. Later that night, Korea squares off against Guam, and Japan goes head-to-head with Lebanon.
Meanwhile, Gilas will be without one of their key shooters, Calvin Oftana, who has been ruled out after aggravating a lingering ankle injury he first sustained during the PBA Philippine Cup semifinals.
Despite this, Saudi Arabia head coach Ricard Casas remains wary of Gilas Pilipinas, acknowledging how dangerous the team can be—especially with everything on the line. His remarks only further reflect the respect he holds for the Filipino squad.
“The next match is not easy. It’s very difficult. We will give our best. Of course, it’s very important, these next hours for our preparation. Because we will play a good team,” Casas said.
Deserving or not, one team will have to pack their bags and head home this morning—a tough truth in a high-stakes tournament where even the smallest mistakes can end a campaign.
Both teams have battled fiercely to keep their dreams alive, but only one will earn the right to continue their stint. In a game where pride and national colors take center stage, effort alone won’t cut it—only precise execution will determine who advances and who falls short.
