Gilas Pilipinas are aiming for a quick recovery following a disappointing loss to Chinese Taipei in their FIBA Asia Cup 2025 opening assignment.
Gilas Pilipinas look to right the ship as they tangle with New Zealand in a pivotal Group D faceoff in the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Thursday, Aug. 7.
Game time is at 11:00 p.m. (PH time) at the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Still reeling from a disappointing 87-95 loss to Chinese Taipei in its opening game, Gilas must bounce back quickly against the Tall Blacks, who opened their campaign with a dominant 100-78 rout of Iraq.
[RELATED STORY: Tim Cone disappointed in Gilas' Asia Cup opening loss: 'Like we’re in panic mode for 40 mins’]
The Philippines found itself in a 17-point hole early against Chinese Taipei and never fully recovered, despite flashes of resilience.
Naturalized Filipino Justin Brownlee tallied 19 points, seven rebounds and two assists before fouling out with over four minutes remaining.
Kevin Quiambao emerged as a spark off the bench, finishing with 17 points in just 16 minutes.
Scottie Thompson stuffed the stat sheet with 16 points, seven rebounds, five assists and a steal, while Dwight Ramos also chipped in 16 points and six assists.
But their efforts were not enough to overcome the early damage courtesy of Ying-Chun Chen, who torched Gilas for 34 points on six triples.
[RELATED STORY: AJ Edu speaks on flat Gilas FIBA Asia Cup 2025 start: 'We're gonna take responsibility']
Now facing a more athletic and physical New Zealand squad, Gilas must shore up its defensive schemes and start stronger if it hopes to avoid slipping to 0-2 in the group stage.
Taylor Britt starred for the Tall Blacks in their opener, posting 21 points, six rebounds, six assists and three steals.
Mojave King and Tohi Smith-Milner added 18 and 13 points, respectively, as New Zealand cruised to victory.
With their quarterfinal hopes hanging in the balance, Gilas will need to match the Tall Blacks' energy and composure — and do so from the opening tip.
(With reports from Jan Ballesteros)
—
[Editor's note: This article was written by a member of One Sports Digital with the help of AI and then checked by the staff to ensure accuracy.]