Gilas Pilipinas got its timing right and finally pulled off a memorable 93-89 victory over the New Zealand Tall Blacks on Thursday evening in the second round of the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Heroics from Chris Newsome and Justin Brownlee ended the Philippines’ winless streak against the Kiwis on home soil and secured Gilas’ third straight triumph in Group B.
Brownlee delivered a game-high 26 points, adding 11 rebounds for Gilas, which claimed the solo lead in their bracket.
The 6’6” Brownlee’s two free throws in the last 14 seconds, following a foul by Thomas Vodanovich, ensured Gilas didn’t have to worry about a late comeback from the Kiwis, sealing the victory.
Kai Sotto contributed 19 points, Scottie Thompson added 12, and both Dwight Ramos and Chris Newsome chipped in 11 points each for the Filipino side.
Newsome’s three-pointer with 1:07 left put the game out of the Kiwis’ reach at 91-84.
“It was a tough one. They’re good, really good. They were incredibly physical. I think that was the number one thing we had to battle through,” said Gilas coach Tim Cone, after the Philippines secured its first win over New Zealand in five encounters.
Gilas drew strength from a 16-0 run in the last five minutes of the third quarter. Brownlee’s seven points and a layup from Newsome sparked the fiery blitz, allowing the Philippines to rally from a 58-60 deficit and pull ahead 72-60 in the final 47 seconds of the period.
The Kiwis, led by new coach Judd Flavell, got 25 points from Corey Webster, while Vodanovich and Sam Waardenburg added 19 points each.
“We knew coming into this game that we’d have to deal with some aggressive play on the defensive end. We had the lead, but in the third quarter, we let it slip. They capitalized on that with their points and rebounds,” said Flavell.
Earlier, the Tall Blacks tied the contest at 45-all at halftime, thanks to Vodanovich’s second triple in the final five seconds of the second quarter.
Webster finished the half with 14 points, hitting three of the 10 triples scored by the Tall Blacks in the first two quarters. His final three-pointer of the second period, along with Waardenburg’s trey, pushed the Kiwis ahead 28-20 with 8:53 remaining in the quarter.
Brownlee responded with 11 points in the second quarter, including a layup in the last 2:14 that reignited Gilas’ fightback, narrowing the deficit to 43-49.
Thompson made a significant impact midway through the second quarter, with his drives and a three-pointer helping Gilas take a 35-31 lead.
