Gilas Pilipinas regains confidence with gutsy win vs Iraq in 2025 FIBA Asia Cup

It has been a turbulent start for Gilas Pilipinas at the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup after two consecutive tough defeats thrusted them in complete survival mode.

Gilas Pilipinas staged late rallies against Chinese Taipei and New Zealand, only to fall short both times, sliding to 0-2 in Group D and into a must-win showdown with fellow struggling team Iraq.

But with their backs against the wall, Gilas answered the call and leaned on Dwight Ramos’ breakout performance to overpower Iraq and breathe new life into their campaign after a 66-57 win on Saturday night.

It was a huge win for Gilas, securing their spot in the quarterfinal qualification round, but more importantly, head coach Tim Cone said it reignited the confidence they had lost after their early defeats.

"It was a tough one because both teams were really desperate for the win because we’re both 0-2 and both  are looking to advance, so there was a lot of desperation in that basketball game," Cone said.

"It was a big win for us, any win at this point is gonna be a big one for us because we want to get one under our belt. We needed to have a win to kind of rekindle our confidence, I think, so we’re happy to be moving on."

Gilas held Iraq in check through the first two quarters, heading into halftime locked in a 33-all deadlock. 

Ramos then came out firing in the third quarter, burying a pair of three-pointers before completing a three-point play that pushed the Philippines' lead to 10, 47-37. 

Ramos' eruption fueled the rest of the crew with AJ Edu, Chris Newsome, and Brownlee all finding their touches to help Gilas cruise to a 55-37 lead — their biggest in the game — before ending the third frame up by 15, 55-40. 

Gilas struggled in the fourth, allowing Iraq to pour in 17 points while managing only 11 of their own. Still, the final baskets from Calvin Oftana, Brownlee, and Ramos were enough to close out the grind-out victory. 

Ramos echoed Cone's sentiments, saying the nine-point victory lifted their spirits up following two narrow losses to Chinese Taipei and New Zealand. 

"We needed that win to give us confidence. We’re feeling down a little bit the last couple of games we’ve been losing so this one kinda rises our spirits," said Ramos, who posted 21 points and five rebounds.

"It was tough in the beginning, they’re making their shots but once we tightened up the defense and played a little bit more in control, I think we’re able to stretch the lead there."

—JKC, GMA Integrated News