Gilas Pilipinas survived a late charge by Iran before escaping with an 84-83 win and marching into the semifinal round of the Asian Games men's basketball tournament Tuesday.
Naturalized player Justin Brownlee came up with his most productive game, scoring 36 points and pulling down eight boards while dishing out four assists to lead the way for the Philippines, which shot a steady 50% from the field (32-of-64).
Brownlee also hit 5-of-7 from beyond the arc as his torrid shooting was what the Filipinos practically needed in advancing to the Final Four for the first time in 25 years.
Tim Cone, now the returning head coach of the Philippine squad in 1998, was also the same mentor who guided the Centennial Team to a bronze medal finish and he has an opportunity to exceed his previous accomplishment in this tournament.
But to do this, Cone and his troops need to get by host China Wednesday, 8 p.m., at the HOC Gymnasium.