JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia — Gilas Pilipinas stumbled out of the gate at the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup, falling 95-87 to a sharp-shooting Chinese Taipei squad that looked more composed and more prepared from start to finish.
Veteran guard Chen Ying-Chun torched the Filipinos with a monster 34-point outing — including six three-pointers — as he led Chinese Taipei to its second consecutive victory over Gilas following their triumph in the final window of the qualifiers earlier this year.
The defeat exposed lingering concerns for the Philippine national team — especially in defensive rotations and composure in clutch moments — and left head coach Tim Cone and his staff with little time to regroup before a tough matchup against New Zealand looms on Thursday.
Early dunk, then a deficit spiral
Justin Brownlee opened the scoring with a dunk, briefly giving Filipino fans a glimmer of early dominance. But that lead was short-lived — and it turned out to be the only one Gilas would hold. Chinese Taipei quickly seized control, riding the hot hand of Chen and the interior presence of naturalized player Brandon Gilbeck, who chipped in 16 points and 9 rebounds while disrupting Gilas’ big men all night.
Brownlee paced the Philippines with 19 points but fouled out with over four minutes left in the game — a crucial blow as Gilas was mounting one final push.
Glimmers of hope, but no breakthrough
Kevin Quiambao provided a spark off the bench with 17 points, showing glimpses of his promise in international play. Scottie Thompson and Dwight Ramos also contributed 16 points each, but the collective effort wasn’t enough to slow down Chinese Taipei’s pace or answer their barrage of threes.
The Taiwanese built a 17-point lead in the first half, and although Gilas managed to cut the deficit to four late in the second quarter, Chen and company quickly restored order and went into the break with a 9-point cushion.
What’s next for Gilas?
Now backed into a corner, the Philippines faces a must-win situation against New Zealand, who looked dominant in their 100-78 win over Iraq. The Tall Blacks present another tough test — one that could determine whether Gilas can still make a meaningful run in the tournament.
The question now: Can Gilas shake off the cobwebs, refocus, and rise to the occasion? Or will the struggles of Jeddah mark the beginning of another uphill battle for Philippine basketball on the Asian stage?
One thing’s clear — there’s no more room for error.