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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Basketball devider Gilas gets quick reality check as Asia Cup mission faces roadblock

Gilas gets quick reality check as Asia Cup mission faces roadblock

Published Aug 6, 2025 01:19 pm

At A Glance

  • Gilas Pilipinas got some sort of quick reality check in the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup following a shocking 95-87 defeat at the hands of a hot-shooting Chinese Taipei team in their opening game at the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia early Wednesday, Aug. 6.
Gilas Pilipinas coach Tim Cone hopes his stalwarts can bounce back from the stinging loss against Chinese Taipei. (File Photo/FIBA)
Gilas Pilipinas coach Tim Cone hopes his stalwarts can bounce back from the stinging loss against Chinese Taipei. (File Photo/FIBA)
Gilas Pilipinas got some sort of quick reality check in the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup following a shocking 95-87 defeat at the hands of a hot-shooting Chinese Taipei team in their opening game  at the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia early Wednesday, Aug. 6.
National team head coach Tim Cone admitted the team was feeling confident heading into the tournament, believing it had a legitimate chance to ending the country’s 40-year title drought in the continental showpiece.
But they found little answers to a fast and deadly outside shooting team like the Taiwanese, who have now beaten Gilas twice after snapping the Filipinos’ 12-year winning streak against them in the last window of the qualifiers.
“We felt that coming here, no doubt about it. We felt that coming in at the start, that we have a chance to go for it (the end of PH’s 40-year title drought) and this made a huge roadblock for us right here,” Cone said after the tough loss.
Cone added the situation right now is entirely different from 40 years ago, when the Nationals last reigned supreme in the continental tiff.
“As opposed to winning it back in 1985, we were just a dominant basketball team back then  and the other teams have obviously caught up to us and so we have not played as we wanted in this tournament,” he added.
Still, all is not lost for Gilas at this point as it remains in contention for a spot in the knockout stage though the loss puts the Nationals in crucial contests against New Zealand and Iraq.
Gilas still has the chance to top the Group D and get an outright quarterfinals spot should it sweeps its remaining two games. Even if it loses against the Tall Blacks though, all Gilas need is a win against Iraq to qualify to the playoff against the second seed of Group C for the remaining quarters spots.
“This is something we want to try to overcome, if we have to come from the loser's bracket then we will have to do that,” said Cone.
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