Gilas Pilipinas head coach Tim Cone didn’t mince words after the Philippines suffered its second straight loss in the Fiba Asia Cup 2025, falling to New Zealand 94-86 on Thursday at King Abdullah Sports City.
“Well, we’re disappointed that we lost two in a row. I don’t think any of us saw that coming,” Cone said in a live post-game press conference on the Fiba Media YouTube channel. “We’re obviously struggling in the first half, not playing well early. We came back and played a really good second half, but we just couldn’t get over the hump. A couple of turnovers down the stretch kept us from making it a really tight game.”
The loss dropped Gilas to 0-2 in Group D despite a spectacular 37-point outburst from Justin Brownlee, who drilled seven triples and carried the fight in the second half. Dwight Ramos also fueled the rally, crediting the Filipino crowd for lifting the team’s energy.
“We came out shell-shocked, but in the second half we played like we used to,” Ramos said. “The crowd played a big part, especially when we were making a run. Shoutout to them—they’re part of the reason why we came back.”
New Zealand leaned on Jordan Ngatai’s perfect 5-of-5 shooting from beyond the arc for 22 points and Taylor Britt’s 19 points and seven assists. The Tall Blacks’ poise and execution in the closing minutes proved decisive, with Britt hitting big baskets to keep Gilas at bay.
Brownlee’s hot hand helped Gilas slice a 14-point halftime deficit to just four late in the third quarter, but a clutch three from Tohi Smith-Milner and a buzzer-beating layup by Britt restored New Zealand’s cushion heading into the final period.
Cone remains determined to keep the team’s focus forward.
“We can’t sulk because of these last two losses,” he said. “We can’t afford that—there’s more to do. We’ll be ready for our next game.” MLSA
