Who were the best Gilas Pilipinas performers in the first round of the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers?

The FIBA World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers are entering the second round, with Gilas Pilipinas still in the hunt for a spot in the World Cup for the fourth consecutive time.

The Philippines finished the first round with a 2-4 record and will face Iran and Jordan in the upcoming window.

Before the second round begins, here’s a look back at some of Gilas Pilipinas’ best performers from the first round.

FIRST WINDOW

Results:

-Gilas Pilipinas 87-46 Guam
-Gilas Pilipinas 95-71 Guam

Justin Brownlee was arguably Gilas Pilipinas’ best performer in the first window, averaging 21 points, 3.5 rebounds, five assists, and 1.5 steals per game.

Another standout was Dwight Ramos, who posted 14.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, two assists, and two steals per game.

Notably absent from the lineup was Kai Sotto.

Chris Newsome, RJ Abarrientos, Scottie Thompson, June Mar Fajardo, CJ Perez, Japeth Aguilar, Kevin Quiambao, Carl Tamayo, AJ Edu, and Quentin Millora-Brown were also part of the squad.

SECOND WINDOW

Results:

-Gilas Pilipinas 66-69 New Zealand
-Gilas Pilipinas 66-93 Australia

Ramos was once again among Gilas’ standout performers, averaging 12.5 points per game in the window. He led the Philippines with 16 points against the Tall Blacks, along with eight rebounds, one assist, and two steals.

CJ Perez also contributed 15 points, three rebounds, and three assists in the same game.

Brownlee, meanwhile, had contrasting performances during the window. He was limited to four points against New Zealand but bounced back with 20 points against Australia, where he also recorded eight rebounds, seven assists, and one steal.

Juan Gomez de Liaño and Calvin Oftana returned to Gilas, joining holdovers Newsome, Thompson, Fajardo, Perez, Quiambao, Tamayo, Edu, and Millora-Brown.

Aguilar, meanwhile, had previously announced his retirement from the national team.

THIRD WINDOW

Results:

-Gilas Pilipinas 102-106 New Zealand (2OT)
-Gilas Pilipinas 92-49 Australia

Gilas’ young players stepped up as injuries hit the national team. Brownlee missed the game against Australia, while other members of the pool, including Troy Rosario, Justine Baltazar, and Mike Phillips, joined the squad.

Gomez de Liaño and Quiambao each scored 23 points in the double-overtime game against New Zealand. They followed that up with seven and eight points, respectively, against Australia.

As he had in previous windows, Ramos remained a steady contributor for the national team. He recorded 18 points, four rebounds, three assists, and one steal against the Tall Blacks, before finishing with nine points, five rebounds, three assists, and one steal against Australia.

Tamayo also had a strong showing against New Zealand, scoring 17 points, but was limited to two points against Australia.

Other players who joined the squad during the window included Newsome, Abarrientos, Fajardo, and Edu.

Gilas Pilipinas will enter the second round without Brownlee but will welcome back Sotto to the national team as the Philippines takes on Jordan and Iran in the upcoming window.

—Justin Kenneth Carandang/JMB, GMA News