Gilas comes up short in double-overtime battle against New Zealand in World Cup qualis

Gilas Pilipinas suffered a heartbreaking 106-102 double-overtime loss to New Zealand in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers on Friday afternoon (Manila time) at Spark Arena in Auckland.

In the second overtime, the Philippines seized a 100-96 lead behind an AJ Edu dunk and a Justin Brownlee three-pointer.

However, foul trouble allowed the Tall Blacks to claw their way back.

Reuben Te Rangi and Carlin Davison kept their composure despite the loud Filipino crowd inside the packed venue, sinking four straight free throws to tie the game at 100-all with 1:19 remaining.

Brownlee was then called for an offensive foul, leading to a Sam Mennenga basket on the ensuing possession that put New Zealand back in front.

Kevin Quiambao answered with a layup to knot the score once more, but Mennenga was in perfect position to clean up a Davison miss and restore the Tall Blacks’ lead.

Coming out of a timeout, Davison intercepted Juan Gomez de Liaño’s inbound pass, while Brownlee committed a breakaway foul. Jordan Ngatai and Shea Ili calmly converted their free throws to seal the victory and secure New Zealand’s place in the second round.

“It would have been nice to come down here and steal a game; that would have been special,” said Gilas head coach Tim Cone. “The fact that we got as close as we did, obviously, is a huge disappointment once you feel like it’s in your grasp and you let it slip away; that makes it tough.

“We had chances in regulation and in both overtimes to win that basketball game, and we just came up short. The bottom line was our guys came to play. They expended a lot of energy just staying in the game. Went down by twelve early in the game, battled back, and came ahead by seven, but again we couldn’t just hold it. We missed some free throws, fouled a few times more than we should have, and that’s probably the story of the game,” the most decorated PBA head coach continued.

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Brownlee struggled throughout the contest.

After averaging 16.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.8 assists through the first four games of the qualifiers, the 38-year-old forward from Tifton, Georgia, was held to just five points on 2-of-3 shooting, while adding eight rebounds and four assists against three turnovers before fouling out late in the second overtime.

“A lot of thoughts. A game like that, there’s a lot going on and it could have gone either way. I think that’s a true game of international basketball,” said Tall Blacks head coach Judd Flavell, who will take over B.League club Shinshu next season.

“We had objectives that we had to do. Obviously, Justin Brownlee is their focal point offensively. We did a good job on him but it opened up a lot of things for the others. They capitalized on it,” Flavell added.

With Brownlee limited offensively, Gilas fell behind by as many as 12 points, 55-43, early in the third quarter.

The game’s momentum shifted with the entry of FIBA debutant Mike Phillips.

The 6-foot-8 bruiser, who plays for the San Juan Knights, finished with just two points and three rebounds in 10 minutes, but his hustle and energy sparked the Philippines’ comeback as Gilas grabbed a 64-63 lead entering the fourth quarter.

Tied at 68-all with 7:18 remaining, RJ Abarrientos ignited a 9-2 run that also featured baskets from Edu, Quiambao, and Dwight Ramos to give the Philippines a seven-point cushion.

New Zealand, however, answered with a furious rally and eventually grabbed an 83-80 advantage with 21.2 seconds left in regulation.

Juan Gomez de Liaño drilled a clutch three-pointer with 11.9 seconds remaining to force overtime.

In the first extra period, Gilas trailed 91-90 before Gomez de Liaño buried another booming triple with 8.3 seconds left to put the Philippines ahead.

However, Ramos fouled Ili on the ensuing possession, allowing the New Zealand guard to sink two free throws and force a second overtime.

“We got an experienced group and it’s the experience that got the job done down the stretch,” said Flavell.

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With the win New Zealand joined Australia and the Philippines in the second round, eliminating Guam from contention in Pool A.

The loss also marked Gilas’ fourth straight defeat to the Tall Blacks since its historic 93-89 victory at the SM Mall of Asia Arena on November 21, 2024—the Philippines’ lone win over New Zealand in FIBA competition.

It was the younger core that carried Gilas offensively, with Gomez de Liaño and Quiambao scoring 23 points apiece. Gomez de Liaño also contributed six rebounds, four assists, and a steal, while Quiambao logged 37 minutes.

Ramos bounced back from a slow start to finish with 18 points, four rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and a steal, while Carl Tamayo added 17 points, highlighted by three three-pointers.

“That’s how you evolve the team. You try to win with your veterans and you try to develop your young guys,” Cone said of his emerging core. “Our young guys have been developing over the last two years and a half and every time they come in a window, they’ve gotten better. When we first got them in the team, they were 21 years old and now they’re 24-25, so they have evolved along with the team.”

Te Rangi paced New Zealand with 22 points in 35 minutes, while Ili added 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting from the free-throw line along with six assists.

Sam Waardenburg recorded a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds, while Mennenga stuffed the stat sheet with 13 points, six rebounds, three assists, and three steals.

Gilas now turns its attention to a showdown against Australia at RAC Arena in Perth, while New Zealand remains at Spark Arena to host Guam in the final game of the first round of the qualifiers.

The Scores:

New Zealand 106 – Te Rangi 22, Ili 21, Waardenburg 16, Mennenga 13, Webster 12, Davison 7, Smith-Milner 6, Britt 4, Ngatai 3, Murray 2, Timmins 0.

Philippines 102 – Quiambao 23, Gomez de Liano 23, Ramos 18, Tamayo 17, Abarrientos 6, Edu 6, Brownlee 5, Phillips 2, Rosario 2, Fajardo 0, Newsome 0.

Quarterscores: 23-17, 44-39, 63-64, 83-83, 93-93, 106-102.

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