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Advocates Philippines
Gilas' Fourth Quarter Rally Falls Short Against Chinese Taipei In Heartbreaking 91-84 Loss
Photo credit: PBA
Gilas Pilipinas came up just short after a fierce fourth-quarter comeback, falling 91-84 to Chinese Taipei in a nail-biting finish at the FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers on Thursday night. The game, played in front of a packed crowd at the Taipei Heiping basketball gymnasium, was a thriller from start to finish.
The Filipinos battled back from a 10-point deficit late in the game, taking the lead briefly on a clutch three-pointer from Justine Brownlee, making it 80-79 with just under 4 minutes left. But Chinese Taipei wasn’t about to back down. The home team answered with a massive 12-4 run, capped off by a thunderous dunk from Brandon Gilbeck in the final 17 seconds to seal the victory.
For Gilas head coach Tim Cone, it was a tough one to swallow. "I thought the Chinese Taipei team was very impressive. We made a couple of runs at them hoping that they would crack, but they never did," said Cone after the game. “They kept their composure and kept making big shots. Very impressive win by them. They were well deserving.”
Brownlee, who was nothing short of spectacular, led Gilas with a game-high 39 points, shooting an incredible 8-of-11 from beyond the arc. He also chipped in with six rebounds and eight assists, keeping the Philippines in the fight. However, the home team’s long-range shooting proved to be the difference. Chinese Taipei hit 15 threes on 43 attempts, with Ting-Chien Lin and Mohammad Al Bachir Gadiaga each scoring 21 points, and Chun Hsiang Lu adding 18.
The win marked Chinese Taipei’s first victory over the Philippines in almost a decade, since the 2016 FIBA Asia Challenge. With the victory, they improve to 2-3, moving up to third place in Group B and keeping their hopes alive for a spot in the FIBA Asia Cup tournament proper.
It was a tough loss for Gilas, but there’s no doubt the team will be looking to bounce back in their next match.
The Filipinos battled back from a 10-point deficit late in the game, taking the lead briefly on a clutch three-pointer from Justine Brownlee, making it 80-79 with just under 4 minutes left. But Chinese Taipei wasn’t about to back down. The home team answered with a massive 12-4 run, capped off by a thunderous dunk from Brandon Gilbeck in the final 17 seconds to seal the victory.
For Gilas head coach Tim Cone, it was a tough one to swallow. "I thought the Chinese Taipei team was very impressive. We made a couple of runs at them hoping that they would crack, but they never did," said Cone after the game. “They kept their composure and kept making big shots. Very impressive win by them. They were well deserving.”
Brownlee, who was nothing short of spectacular, led Gilas with a game-high 39 points, shooting an incredible 8-of-11 from beyond the arc. He also chipped in with six rebounds and eight assists, keeping the Philippines in the fight. However, the home team’s long-range shooting proved to be the difference. Chinese Taipei hit 15 threes on 43 attempts, with Ting-Chien Lin and Mohammad Al Bachir Gadiaga each scoring 21 points, and Chun Hsiang Lu adding 18.
The win marked Chinese Taipei’s first victory over the Philippines in almost a decade, since the 2016 FIBA Asia Challenge. With the victory, they improve to 2-3, moving up to third place in Group B and keeping their hopes alive for a spot in the FIBA Asia Cup tournament proper.
It was a tough loss for Gilas, but there’s no doubt the team will be looking to bounce back in their next match.
Feb 21, 2025
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