Gilas Pilipinas hopes to carry the momentum from its lone group stage win as it battles host Saudi Arabia for a spot in the Top 8 of the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup at the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah on Tuesday, Aug. 12.

The Nationals finally broke their slump with a gritty 66-57 win over Iraq -- a performance that may have revealed the formula to success for the squad in the continental tournament.

Game time is at 12 a.m., with the Filipinos aiming to replicate the elements that clicked in their breakthrough win, while continuing to address their weaknesses against a determined home team.

"I really believe that this is the kind of game we kind of envisioned we would play where it's a little bit more low scoring,"  said Gilas head coach Tim Cone, whose squad held Iraq to under 60 points after surrendering over 90 in losses to Chinese Taipei and New Zealand.

Sure, both the Taiwanese and the Kiwis are far more potent offensive teams than the Iraqis, but the way the Filipinos ground out that win could serve as a blueprint for a deeper run in the tournament.

"We're battling for every possession. Every basket is important or crucial. And I thought that's what we did tonight. And that's what we're going to expect from ourselves going forward," Cone said.

Of course, Gilas still has plenty to fine-tune on the offensive end, and Cone believes the team needs greater contributions from the local players if they hope to advance to the next round where powerhouse Australia awaits.

Dwight Ramos stepped up to the challenge when he picked up the scoring cudgels as Justin Brownlee drew immediate double teams every time he touched the ball.

"He's such a tremendous player. It's easy to sit there and watch him play. And I mean, from a teammate standpoint, we're all standing around watching him play because he's incredible," Cone said of Gilas’ dependence on Brownlee.

"We've been talking about it. We have to use Justin not just to be a scorer for us, but we can play off of him because he does draw so much attention," added the veteran coach.

Ramos made the most of his opportunity, finishing with 21 points -- an effort Cone hopes to see replicated by other key players like June Mar Fajardo, Scottie Thompson, CJ Perez, and Calvin Oftana.

For one, Saudi Arabia is no pushover, as it emerged as the second-best team in Group C that also featured regional heavyweights China and Jordan. They stunned Jordan with a 77-73 upset and routed India, 84-59, while narrowly falling to China, 93-88.

Leading the charge for the Green Falcons is Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman, the tournament’s third-leading scorer with an average of 23.7 points per game, including a 35-point explosion against China.

Supporting him is 6-foot-9 center Mohammed Alsuwailem, who is averaging a double-double with 14.2 points and a tournament second-best 12 rebounds per game.