All love between Gilas Pilipinas, Australia eight years after infamous FIBA brawl

Eight years after the notorious FIBA brawl that shook the basketball world, Gilas Pilipinas and Australia showed nothing but love and respect as they met again on Philippine soil on Sunday.

The Boomers secured a 93-66 victory over Gilas Pilipinas to close out Window 2 of the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers at the Mall of Asia Arena, marking the first meeting between the two nations in the Philippines since the infamous 2018 brawl at the Philippine Arena in Bulacan.

It also marked a symbolic burying of the hatchet between the Philippines and Australia, as Boomers head coach John Peter Rillie commended the warmth and hospitality extended by the hosts throughout the window.

"First and foremost, thanks for the hospitality that we received here in the Philippines," Rillie said.

"It’s been a terrific couple of days for our group. Now reflecting on the game, we knew the Philippines would come hot at the start of the game due to the game against the New Zealand so we needed to weather the storm."

Elijah Pepper, who torched Gilas with his offense to finish with a team-high 28 points together with seven rebounds and two assists, echoed Rillie and lauded the atmosphere in the games. 

"Thanks for the hospitality. It was a great atmosphere. I think all the guys enjoyed it, it was fun playing," the 25-year-old Pepper said.

"In terms of the game, I thought we played well. The Philippines came out with a little bit of a hard start, they played well in the first half."

—JMB, GMA Integrated News