Justin Brownlee will no doubt be a marked man in the FIBA Asia Cup, as he topped the entire Qualifiers for most points scored in the entire tournament.
While Gilas Pilipinas wrapped up their FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers campaign with a 4-2 record, placing second in Group B, two names stood out in their run—Justin Brownlee and Kai Sotto.
Brownlee provided a consistent scoring punch for the national team, while Sotto’s dominance in the paint was evident in the games he played.
However, Sotto was sidelined in the latest matchups due to an ACL injury, leaving a gap in Gilas’ interior defense.
Justin Brownlee
- 130 PTS | First in total points
- 169 EFF | Tied for first with Bahrain's Devon Chism
- 21.7 PPG | Second leading scorer in the Qualifiers
Gilas Pilipinas relied heavily on Justin Brownlee’s magic, and he delivered.
The 36-year-old forward led all players when it comes to total points--making 130 markers across six games. In comparison, Lebanon's Wael Arakji ranks second with 121 total points.
Justin Noypi also finished second in points per game--averaging 21.7. Palestine's Brian Halums ranked first with 26 PPG.
JB showed incredible efficiency of 169 overall or 28.2 per game--tied for first overall with Devon Chism of Bahrain.
And that means Brownlee will be a marked man come the FIBA Asia Cup.
Kai Sotto
- 12.5 RPG | Second in rebounds
- 2.3 BPG | Tied for third in blocks with Japan's Alex Kirk
- Four double-doubles | Tied for second with Jordan's Ahmad Dwairi
Before his injury, Kai Sotto was a force to be reckoned with inside the paint. And even though he sat out the last two games due to his ACL injury, his impact in the entire tournament was still felt.
Despite only playing in four games, the 7-foot-3 Kai ranked second in rebounding overall with 12.5 boards per game. He also placed third in shot-blocking with 2.3 per outing.
He was consistent in his performance, creating four double-doubles in four games--tied for second with Jordan's Ahmad Dwairi.
His absence was glaring, as Gilas struggled to control defense in their losses to Chinese Taipei and New Zealand.
[READ: Kai Sotto suffers apparent injury in Alphas win over AJ Edu's Nagasaki Velca]
Gilas Pilipinas will need to reassess their approach and make necessary adjustments as they prepare for the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 main draw.
Cone and company will have a better visual of their foes for the FIBA Asia Cup set in Saudi Arabia when the draw happens on April 8 in Jeddah.
[ALSO READ: 'Cumulative experience' for Gilas Pilipinas as focus shifts to actual FIBA Asia Cup 2025]