Gilas Pilipinas will have little time to savor its epic overtime victory over host Saudi Arabia, with defending champion Australia looming in the quarterfinals of the Fiba Asia Cup 2025 at the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The Philippines takes on the unbeaten Boomers on Wednesday, a matchup head coach Tim Cone calls both a challenge and an opportunity.
“I’ve never coached against Australia before,” Cone said in a post-game press conference via the Fiba Media YouTube channel.
That momentum came from Tuesday’s 95-88 win, built on grit, poise, and Justin Brownlee’s clutch heroics. Brownlee drilled a tightly guarded three over Marzouq Almuwallad in the closing seconds, completing a stunning comeback just when Saudi Arabia seemed ready to seal the win.
“They had the game won except for the guy sitting to my right,” Cone said, motioning to Brownlee. “If you know his history, that’s not unusual. He’s been hitting big shots all his life.”
Brownlee finished with 29 points, five assists, and four rebounds, while AJ Edu anchored the paint with 17 points, 12 boards, and a block. Kevin Quiambao added timely buckets in overtime, drilling two triples that gave Gilas the breathing room it needed.
The night wasn’t without its scares. Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman erupted for 33 points and eight threes, powering Saudi Arabia’s comeback from a double-digit deficit to a late lead. But Brownlee’s game-tying dagger—and the surge of emotion that followed—propelled Gilas through the extra period.
Brownlee said. “You just have to have the courage to take those opportunities. I’m blessed my teammates trust me in those situations.”
Next up is Australia, which has yet to lose an Asia Cup game since joining the Fiba Asia zone in 2017 and cruised through group play with an average winning margin of 25.6 points.
“To do something special in this tournament, you have to go through Australia at some point,” Cone said. “We’re going to do our best and get at them.” MLSA