Staying up late proved to be a letdown for Filipino hoop fans as Gilas Pilipinas fell to Chinese Taipei, 95-87, in their opening assignment at the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup at the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The Philippines quickly found themselves in an early 11-point hole in the first quarter, relying heavily on Justin Brownlee's offense. Brownlee scored 11 of Gilas' 16 points in the opening frame, carrying the load as the team struggled to find rhythm. Foul trouble further hampered their efforts, with Chinese Taipei getting 35 free throw attempts for the whole game compared to just 15 for Gilas.
One of the biggest concerns for Gilas heading into the tournament was the lack of true primary ball handlers - and it showed in this game. The Philippines committed 16 turnovers to just four from Chinese Taipei, leading to an 18-point conversion off turnovers that proved costly to give the opposition the victory. It ultimately became an opportunity for the Chinese Taipei squad to have better looks from beyond the arc, shooting 44.4% (12-of-27).
Chen Ying-Chun torched the Gilas defense with a masterclass in shot-making, finishing with 34 points on an elite 81.1 TS%. Chinese Taipei also capitalized on the pick-and-roll, with Brandon Gilbeck repeatedly rolling to the rim for easy finishes. Gilas struggled to contain these actions, as June Mar Fajardo had difficulty defending in space, and the second unit lacked the length to recover at the rim. Gilbeck ended with 16 points and nine boards on a flawless 4-of-4 shooting performance.
Adding to the woes, Brownlee fouled out with 4:29 remaining in the fourth quarter, capping his night with 19 points and seven rebounds on an efficient 59.8% TS. In his absence, Gilas showed some fight behind the efforts of Scottie Thompson, Dwight Ramos, and Kevin Quiambao. Thompson stepped up as the primary facilitator while adding 13 points, six rebounds, and five assists. Ramos sparked the offense in the second half, scoring 13 of his 15 points after halftime. Quiambao, who was benched in the first half, made the most of his 14 minutes with 12 points and high activity that helped fuel Gilas' late rally attempt.
Up next for the Philippines is a tougher test against New Zealand, which opened their campaign with a win over Iraq.