Justin Brownlee had another fantastic performance for Gilas Pilipinas, leading a 21-point comeback win over the Macau Black Bears for their FIBA Asia Cup 2025 send-off.
Justin Brownlee has proven time and again that any team can count on him when push comes to shove.
On Monday at the Big Dome, Brownlee once again supplied some “Never Say Die” magic, leading Gilas Pilipinas in their 103-98 win over Macau Black Bears for their send-off match before the FIBA Asia Cup 2025.
After trailing by as many as 21 points, Gilas took control with an eight-point lead down the stretch.
[Related: Gilas Pilipinas rally to complete 21-point comeback vs Macau in FIBA Asia Cup send-off]
But as Macau staged an uprising in the final minutes to move to within one point, it set the stage for some classic Justin Brownlee heroics.
He delivered just that, scoring the six points in a crucial closing stretch for Gilas, much to the delight of the raucous home crowd.
“Feels like I’m at home. Feels good to be back just seeing the fans. It’s always special to see the way they support basketball,” said Brownlee, who finished with 32 points, 15 rebounds, five assists, a steal, and a block.
“It’s always a great feeling. Just happy to be back with the team doing what I love to do,” he added.
Also making a rousing homecoming was Dwight Ramos, who wound up with 19 points, four rebounds, six assists, two steals, and a block.
AJ Edu added 15 points, three rebounds, and two assists, giving a promising frontcourt look as Gilas continues to endure the absence of the injured Kai Sotto.
Meanwhile, William Douglas paced Macau with 23 points, three rebounds, three assists, and eight steals.
Amorie Anthony turned in 22 points for the Black Bears, while Jenning Leung heated up early with five triples but cooled off in the second half where he only scored two of his 17 points.
Gilas Pilipinas will next play Jordan in another friendly before seeing action in Group D of the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 against New Zealand, Chinese Taipei, and Iraq.