For the first time since their infamous 2018 brawl, Gilas Pilipinas and Australia cross paths in the quarterfinals of the FIBA Asia Cup 2025.
Seven years after their last encounter ended in chaos, Gilas Pilipinas and Australia will cross paths once again — this time with a spot in the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 semifinals on the line.
The Boomers enter Wednesday’s (PH time) quarterfinal in Jeddah as the two-time defending champions and unbeaten in Asia Cup play since joining the competition in 2017.
Gilas, fresh off back-to-back victories capped by an overtime escape against Saudi Arabia, will look to end that dominant run and score their first win over Australia since joining FIBA’s Asia zone.
Australia holds a 5-1 all-time record against the Philippines, but this will be their first meeting since July 2, 2018 — a game that has since become infamous in Philippine basketball history.
That FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers clash at the Philippine Arena ended in a third-quarter brawl, leaving Gilas with only three eligible players and forcing the game to be called with Australia ahead, 89-53.
The melee resulted in 13 ejections, including nine Gilas players.
[Related: Magic Man: Justin Brownlee's clutch shots for Gilas and Ginebra through the years]
Ten Filipinos served suspensions ranging from one to six games, with Calvin Abueva receiving the longest ban at six.
RR Pogoy, Jio Jalalon, and Carl Bryan Cruz were each suspended five games, though Jalalon was a reserve and did not play.
On the Australian side, three players were suspended, highlighted by Daniel Kickert’s five-game penalty.
For the 2025 quarterfinal, only June Mar Fajardo and Japeth Aguilar remain from that Gilas squad. Fajardo, notably, was one of just three Gilas players not thrown out in the 2018 contest.
No player from the Boomers’ 2018 lineup is on Australia’s current roster.
With the bracket set and history looming large, the stakes go beyond just a semifinal berth — for Gilas, it’s a chance to rewrite the narrative against their biggest hurdle in Asian basketball.
—
[Editor's note: This article was written by a member of the One Sports Digital with the help of AI, and then checked by the staff to ensure accuracy.]