(PBA image)
New Zealand’s Tall Blacks spoiled a rousing night at the Mall of Asia Arena, edging Gilas Pilipinas, 69-66, to hand the Filipinos their first setback in the Asian qualifiers for the 2027 FIBA World Cup on Thursday.
Down by as many as 11 points entering the final period, Gilas mounted a furious late charge that electrified the sellout crowd. A Dwight Ramos layup with eight seconds remaining pulled the hosts within 68-66 and briefly swung momentum back to the Philippines. When Reuben Te Rangi split his free throws moments later, the door was left ajar for a dramatic finish.
Gilas had one last look, but Ramos’ desperation attempt on the final play sailed long, allowing the Tall Blacks to escape and silence the arena as the Filipinos’ unbeaten run came to an end.
Head coach Tim Cone minced no words after the loss, stressing that a strong finish was no consolation. “I’m not going to sit here and pretend like I’m happy about our performance,” Cone said. “Bottom line is we’re not going to feel good or take pride that we got close or we almost won. We’re here to win, and we didn’t do that.”
Despite the defeat, Gilas stayed in second place in Group A at 2-1, still chasing unbeaten Australia, which earlier subdued Guam, 93-80, to remain perfect at 3-0.
New Zealand finally broke into the win column after back-to-back losses to the Boomers, leaning on a balanced attack and timely stops. Max Darling led the way with 11 points, Alex McNaught added 10 on an efficient 3-of-4 clip from beyond the arc, and Sam Mennenga imposed his will inside with a double-double of 10 points and 14 rebounds.
With naturalized forward Justin Brownlee hounded by constant double-teams, Ramos carried the offensive load for Gilas with 16 points. CJ Perez chipped in 15, including a fiery 10-point burst in the opening quarter that helped the hosts set an early tone.
Brownlee, however, was limited to four points on 2-of-10 shooting, though he contributed six rebounds and two assists. Juan Gomez de Liano, making his return to the national team, finished with 10 points and two assists in a steady showing.\
Gilas returns to action on Sunday, facing a stern test against Australia once more at the MOA Arena.
New Zealand 69 — Darling 11, Mennenga 10, McNaught 10, Harrison 9, Te Rangi 7, Davison 5, Britt 5, Wetzell 4, Ngatai 3, Murray 3, Smith-Milner 2, Rasmussen 0.
Philippines 66 — Ramos 16, Perez 15, Gomez de Liano 10, Millora-Brown 7, Edu 5, Brownlee 4, Tamayo 3, Oftana 3, Quiambao 2, Thompson 1, Newsome 0, Fajardo 0.
Quarters: 25-21, 37-37, 57-46, 69-66.
