Gilas Pilipinas exit the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 from the quarterfinals after a wire-to-wire loss against Australia, scoring a tournament-low 60 points.
Australia’s grip on the FIBA Asia Cup crown remains firm as ever.
In the quarterfinals of the FIBA Asia Cup 2025, head coach Tim Cone and Gilas Pilipinas got a front-row seat to the skill, discipline, and depth that make the Boomers a cut above the rest.
“[There’s] no doubt the Australian athleticism and length, even though you see it on video, when you get up there and start playing against them on the court, you realize that they’re very superior,” Cone said in the aftermath of the Philippines' 84-60 loss to the Aussies.
Gilas had simply no answers for the favored Australian side, who kept their three-peat hopes alive by advancing to the semifinals, where they will face Iran.
[ALSO READ: Iran completes 21-point comeback to eliminate Chinese Taipei from FIBA Asia Cup]
The Boomers scored the game’s first six points and never looked back, leading by as many as 26 points in the one-sided affair.
[ALSO READ: Gilas Pilipinas succumb to Australian Boomers in FIBA Asia Cup 2025 quarterfinals]
Australia’s defense also limited Gilas Men to a tournament-low 60 points after entering the game averaging 83.5 points in their first four outings.
“It wasn’t the performance we're hoping for, that's for sure. I have mixed emotions. I like the way we play. They’re all good guys and are easy to coach but [I] didn't like our performance tonight,” Cone stressed.
Kevin Quiambao led the Philippines in scoring with 17 points, while Dwight Ramos added 15. But Justin Brownlee finished with just 10 points on only seven shot attempts against the airtight Australian defense.
[ALSO READ: Kevin Quiambao still proud of Gilas despite loss to Australia, FIBA Asia Cup quarters exit]
Meanwhile, Jaylin Galloway and Owen Foxwell netted 15 points each to pace a well-balanced Australian offense in which three other Boomers added 10 points or more.
The world’s no. 7 squad also outrebounded Gilas Pilipinas, 57-36, resulting in a 20-10 edge in second-chance points.
Australia then enjoyed a 9-0 advantage in transition points, on top of a 38-20 domination in points in the paint.
“We just had a hard time staying in front of them. We had a hard time challenging their threes and they moved the ball really well. They got up shots quick. They played a really good pace,” Cone admitted.
He added: “We are trying to keep it at a slower pace, but we just didn’t have enough discipline to do that throughout the game. “
[ALSO READ: Dwight Ramos says Gilas Pilipinas need to work on defense after FIBA Asia Cup exit]
Gilas, for its part, shot just 38.9 percent from the field, including a dismal 8-for-33 clip from deep.
Although the Filipinos tallied more assists (15-13) and points off turnovers (10-5) than Australia, the Boomers simply imposed their might and overwhelmed Gilas Men from start to finish.
“Tournament is over for us. In the big scheme of things, we’re not pleased with what happened. Tonight was not a good performance for us,” Cone concluded.
And yet, Gilas will take on Australia once again--along with New Zealand and Guam--for the FIBA World Cup 2027 Qualifiers starting November.