GORY GILAS: Tall Blacks overpower worn-out Filipino dribblers, 87-70

In an instant, Gilas Pilipinas slipped from its grip on the top spot and finished the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers in No. 2 as New Zealand exacted revenge and claimed the top seeding to boot heading into the main draw.

The Tall Blacks came in prepared and ready to rumble, pummeling the travel-weary Gilas to submission, 87-70, to close the third window of the qualifiers Group B Sunday morning (Philippine time) at the Filipino fans-filled Spark Arena in Auckland.

Gilas rallied in the fourth quarter, trimming its 28-point third period deficit to just 11. But it wasn’t enough to deny the Kiwis of their much-awaited revenge over the squad that scored an upset over them in Manila last November.

The Filipinos finished the qualifiers with a 4-2 mark, losing back-to-back games.

New Zealand capped its qualifiers run with a 5-1 win-loss record, stringing three straight victories after absorbing an 89-93 upset against Gilas in the second window.

Gilas, which sorely missed the services of injured 7-foot-3 starting center Kai Sotto (knee), was overpowered by the hosts right from tipoff.

The Tall Blacks built a 30-15 lead at the end of the first quarter and were up by 20 entering the halftime break.

“They came out and smashed us early in the first quarter and we never really recovered. They came out all guns firing,” Gilas head coach Tim Cone said.

Reeling from an 84-91 loss to Chinese-Taipei last 20 February in Taiwan, Gilas looked a step slower from the Tall Blacks.

“We were just playing on our heels just trying to recover on that early barrage,” Cone said.

“We had our opportunities to have the game tight but we just couldn’t make our shots there.”

Naturalized player Justin Brownlee was limited to just 10 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the field while Chris Newsome finished with 13 points for Gilas.

Big man June Mar Fajardo submitted 11 points with five rebounds while Calvin Oftana and Dwight Ramos added eight points each for Gilas, who shot 37.5 percent from the field.

New Zealand torched Gilas from the outside connecting 13 triples. The visiting team shot poorly from the three-point area with a 6-of-29 clip.

The Tall Blacks broke the game wide-open, 65-37, after Reuben Te Rangi nailed a three-pointer with 7:07 left in the third period.

‘We were just playing on our heels just trying to recover on that early barrage.’

Gilas mounted a fourth quarter run and closed in by 11 after Brownlee scored on a layup for a 77-66 count with 6:37 left only for Corey Webster to spark New Zealand’s 8-0 counterattack to restore order.

Tohi Smith-Milner paced the Kiwis with 25 points and nine rebounds, Webster had 14 points while Te Rangi and Jordan Ngatai added 12 and 11 points, respectively, for New Zealand.

The Tall Blacks will get a favorable draw in the FIBA Asia Cup main tournament slated from 5 to 17 August in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

The scores:

New Zealand (87) — Smith-Milner 25, Webster 14, Te Rangi 12, Ngatai 11, Britt 8, Wynyard 7, Le’afa 5, Darling 3, K. Isaac 2, Brown 0, T. Isaac 0, Ball 0.

Philippines (70) — Newsome 13, Fajardo 11, Brownlee 10, Oftana 8, Ramos 8, Edu 7, Aguilar 6, Tamayo 4, Perez 3, Quiambao 0, Thompson 0, Malonzo 0.

Quarters: 30-15; 53-33; 74-55; 87-70.