Boomers crush Gilas in QF clash, end PH’s Asia Cup campaign

Ian Paolo Villacencio

Gilas Pilipinas’ run in the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup came to a halt on August 13, after a 84–60 quarterfinal blowout loss to Group A’s ace, Australian Boomers at the King Abdullah Sports City in Saudi Arabia.

The defeat closed the Philippines’ campaign with a 2–3 record, highlighted by early struggles in the group stages, a late resurgence, turning into an eventual clash with the region’s best, holding a 15-0 record in the Asia Cup before the game, since joining the region in 2017.

Slow Beginnings

In their opening game against Chinese Taipei, the Taiwanese are still dominating the Gilas ever since they met in the final window of Asia Cup Qualifiers, especially their outside shooting.

In this 87–95 loss, turnovers, foul trouble, and 35 opponent free throws undermined any comeback attempt for the Philippine team, and it didn’t help that Gilas import Justin Brownlee got out halfway through the fourth quarter, reducing any scoring threat. Dwight Ramos, Kevin Quiambao, and Scottie Thompson mounted a rally but fell short. 

On the other hand, sharpshooter Chen Ying-Chun finished with 34 points and six three-point makes, while import Brandon Gilbeck had 16 points and nine rebounds for Chinese-Taipei, turning things hard for AJ Edu and June Mar Fajardo to defend and play in the shaded area.

Their second group stage outing against New Zealand followed a similar script. Down by as many as 18 points, Gilas fought back to single digits but ultimately succumbed, 86–94.

By avoiding switches and taking advantage of transitional lapses, the Tall Blacks fully capitalized on Gilas’ sluggish rotations and inadequate screen navigation. Wide-open threes resulted from the Philippine defense’s repeated inability to match up or stop shooters, with the Kiwis shooting 50% (13-26) from three to finish the game.

Gilas relied on Brownlee to keep them afloat offensively once more. Despite being the target of New Zealand’s defense, Brownlee continued to bear the majority of the scoring load, finishing with 37 points on an effective.

With a 0–2 card, the Philippines found itself in a must-win situation against Iraq to avoid an early exit.

Glimmer of hope

The do-or-die encounter against the Iraqis started slow again and even knotted up at the half. However, in the second half Gilas got hot and eventually secured their first win in the tournament. 

Ramos exploded for 21 points, hitting crucial shots from beyond the arc to lead the Filipinos to a 66–57 victory, despite a struggling Brownlee, who scored 8 points and only hit a single triple. The win secured a third-place finish in Group D and a lifeline into the qualification round.

That lifeline turned into one of the tournament’s most dramatic moments when Gilas battled the hosts Saudi Arabia for a quarterfinal berth. 

Despite a promising start in the first quarter, they couldn’t keep up with it, as the Arabians kept surging everytime Gilas got an edge every single quarter, thanks to their two-punch combination of shooter Muhammad Abdur-Rakhman and 7-footer Mohammed Alsuwailem.

After a 77-71 lead by Saudi Arabia, the Philippines overcame that deficit, with Brownlee drilling a cold-blooded triple to force overtime, then Quiambao and AJ Edu matched each other with 17 points apiece, while the Philippine import finished with 29, propelling Gilas to a thrilling 95–88 victory, snatching the QF berth to the hosts.

Gap Showed

The quarterfinal against Australia, however, exposed the gap between the Filipinos and the region’s elite. 

The Boomers stormed to a 29–12 lead in the first quarter, hitting 7-of-12 from three-point range and controlling the boards with a 57–36 rebounding edge. 

Gilas found brief momentum in the third quarter, outscoring Australia 22–21, but they couldn’t build a consistent momentum for a comeback.

Quiambao led the way with 17 points, Ramos chipped in 15, and Brownlee added 10, yet the Philippines could not recover from the early onslaught.

With the win, Australia advanced to the semifinals unbeaten, while Gilas returns home with valuable lessons ahead of upcoming international competitions. 

Ramos’ steady two-way play, Quiambao’s development as a reliable scoring threat, and Brownlee’s flashes of genius in crucial situations were all highlights of the campaign, despite the inconsistent results.