MANILA – Justin Brownlee did it again when it mattered most, lifting Gilas Pilipinas to a 95-88 overtime win against host Saudi Arabia, 95-88, to barge into the quarterfinals of the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 on Monday at King Abdullah Sports City stadium in Jeddah.
Brownlee scored a game-high 29 points, including a triple with 8.4 seconds left that sent the game into overtime. He also had five assists and four rebounds.
The Philippines dominated Saudi Arabia in the extra period, 16-9, ignited by Kevin Quiambao’s three-pointer as Gilas sealed its second win in four games.
Behind Brownlee, AJ Edu and Quiambao, the Philippines surged to a double-digit lead, 25-15, after the first quarter.
However, the host team bounced back and briefly erased the deficit after a 14-1 run behind the all-around performance of Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman, who finished with 33 points, including eight triples.
Edu scored 17 points and made his presence felt inside the paint with 11 rebounds and a block, while Quiambao also finished with 17 points and Scottie Thompson added crucial four points and 10 rebounds.
"They posed a lot of problems for us, and by all rights, they had the game won except for the guy sitting to my right (Brownlee), he's the big shot. And if you know his history, that's not unusual. He's been hitting big shots,” Gilas Pilipinas coach Tim Cone said.
The Filipinos will face two-time defending champion Australia in the quarterfinals on Wednesday. (PNA)