- Gilas Pilipinas battles a familiar foe in Australia in a knockout quarterfinal game in 2025 Fiba Asia Cup on Wednesday, August 13.
- This the first meeting between the two teams since the infamous 2018 brawl that happened during a World Cup qualifying game.
August 13, Wednesday
- 7 pm – Gilas Pilipinas vs Australia
Gilas Pilipinas celebrate its win over Saudi Arabia in the 2025 Fiba Asia Cup. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
Dropping its first two games left Gilas Pilipinas with no other choice but to face Australia earlier than it had hoped for after its dramatic entry into the quarterfinals of the Fiba Asia Cup in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
But if there’s anything coach Tim Cone learned from his team in the two games that followed defeats at the hands of Chinese-Taipei and New Zealand was that Gilas always finds ways to get the results they need.
“[Australia] is pretty much the No. 1 seed in the tournament, and for us to beat them it would be an upset,” Cone said as Gilas tries to do the unthinkable on Wednesday at a much-friendlier start for fans back home: 7 p.m. Philippine time.
Gilas Pilipinas forward Kevin Quiambao celebrates after hitting a big 3-pointer against Saudi Arabia in the 2025 Fiba Asia Cup qualification quarterfinals.–FIBA PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—With Gilas Pilipinas down two men in a must-win, Kevin Quiambao provided the shot in the arm to escape host Saudi Arabia in overtime and reach the Fiba Asia Cup quarterfinals.
The youngest on the squad, Quiambao played like a wily veteran, delivering big shots and making timely plays.
“We just played the next man up,” said Quiambao in Filipino after Gilas’ 95-88 victory. “We lost two players but we trusted coach Tim’s system and everyone who believed in us.”
Gilas Pilipinas in the 2025 Fiba Asia Cup. –FIBA PHOTO
Gilas Pilipinas will meet Australia for the first time since the two teams figured in a massive brawl seven years ago after setting up a quarterfinal showdown in the 2025 Fiba Asia Cup following its hard-fought overtime victory over host Saudi Arabia.
Their game is set Wednesday at Jeddah’s King Abdullah Sports City as the two teams will look to focus on getting a spot in the semis rather than dwell on the things that transpired during a World Cup Asian Qualifiers contest in July 2018 at Philippine Arena. that turned too ugly.
Several Gilas players engaged in a fistfight with their Aussie counterparts during the third quarter, resulting in ejections. The game ended abruptly due to lack of players on the floor and severe sanctions handed by Fiba.
Gilas Pilipinas’ CJ Perez suffers an ankle injury during a game against Saudi Arabia in the 2025 Fiba Asia Cup. –FIBA PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—Gilas Pilipinas wasn’t all smiles after successfully advancing to the 2025 Fiba Asia Cup quarterfinals with another man down.
Following their triumphant 95-88 win over Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, Gilas coach Tim Cone revealed that CJ Perez was rushed to the hospital with an apparent ankle injury.
“The only bad part of all this is the injury to CJ. Looks like it’s a bad injury,” said Cone. “He’s in the hospital now. We don’t know the extent of it, but it didn’t look good.”
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