Gilas Pilipinas needed three quarters to shake off the jitters and when it did, there was simply no looking back.

The Filipinos rode on a furious fourth quarter rally as they battled back from a double-digit deficit to turn back host Qatar, 74-71, for a winning start in the 2nd Doha International Cup at the Qatar University Sports Complex early Saturday, Jan. 15 (Manila time).

Limited to just one point through the first half and a 0-of-4 shooting through the first three quarters, Justin Brownlee sparked the comeback in the final frame, dropping nine of his 10 points including a dunk that put Gilas on the driver seat for good, 70-69, with 2:30 left in the game.

As if the Nationals never left home, the crowd, which was dominated by Filipinos, erupted in frenzy as Gilas finished the contest on a hot 23-11 run after trailing 49-60 late in the third frame.

Dwight Ramos, who also took over for Gilas in the fourth, finished with team-high 15 points – none bigger than the crucial layup that gave the Filipinos more buffer, 72-69, with 1:44 left in the game.

Brownlee also added five rebounds, five assists and three steals while June Mar Fajardo, who kept Gilas afloat during a huge third quarter surge from the Qataris, wound up with 12 points and seven rebounds.

Scottie Thompson also chipped in 10 points while AJ Edu announced his return to the squad after missing out on the entirety of the team’s tournaments last year by posting six points, 10 rebounds and a block.

Tyler Harris led Qatar with 17 points, while Mike Lewis added 15 points for the hosts of the four-nation pocket tournament, which Gilas is looking to use as springboard to the third window of the FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers.

Playing their first game together since the November window, the Nationals naturally had to shake off some rust through the first two quarters.

Although keeping themselves within striking distance, the Filipinos seemed to be still feeling their way into the game, especially that it was also the first time they were playing without injured big man Kai Sotto. 

That even became more apparent in the third frame where Gilas could only muster 13 points on the board, allowing Qatar to take a 60-51 lead heading into the final frame.

Gilas plunges back into action in less than 24 hours when it takes on Lebanon at 11:30 p.m. on Saturday (Philippine time).