Head coach Tim Cone experienced firsthand another clutch takeover by Justin Brownlee for Gilas Pilipinas, one that propelled the Filipinos into the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 quarterfinals.
The lights were bright, the noise was deafening, and Gilas Pilipinas’ tournament life hanging by a thread.
Justin Brownlee didn’t flinch — he never does — and carried the team onto his broad shoulders anew.
Brownlee delivered when it mattered most, powering the Philippines past host Saudi Arabia in a thrilling overtime battle to secure a spot in the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 quarterfinals.
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For head coach Tim Cone, watching the 37-year-old swingman rise to the occasion on the big stage was less a surprise than a confirmation.
“If you know his history, that’s not unusual. He’s been hitting big shots. This is nothing foreign to Justin,” Cone said in the postgame interview.
Down 79-76 with just 8.4 seconds left, Brownlee took the inbounds pass from Scottie Thompson, went to work, and launched a well-contested three-pointer over the outstretched arms of Marzouq Almuwallad, tying the game at 79 with 3.7 seconds remaining.
It capped a clutch 8-2 run for the Philippines, which had trailed 77-71 with only 1:24 left in regulation.
Gilas then took control in overtime, with Kevin Quiambao sinking two clutch triples, while timely baskets from AJ Edu and Dwight Ramos helped the Philippines secured a place in the tournament’s final eight.
Quiambao and Edu each finished with 17 points, while Ramos nearly posted a double-double with 13 points and nine rebounds.
Up next for Gilas is a daunting challenge of challenging two-time defending champion Australia, who topped Group A with a unblemished 3-0 record.
“We came out and played really well in overtime, got into a groove, built momentum, and were able to take control,” Cone said.
Brownlee, for his part, poured in 29 points, grabbed five rebounds, and dished out four assists in nearly 41 minutes, adding another entry to his growing collection of clutch performances.
“I’m his coach on his club team, and when we played in the Asian Games, he was hitting big shots all the time,” Cone said.
It was also a much-needed bounce-back game for the six-time PBA champion import, who had been held to just eight points in the 66-57 win over Iraq in their previous outing.
[ALSO READ: With Brownlee limited, Dwight Ramos steps up as Gilas logs 1st win vs Iraq in FIBA Asia Cup]