GILAS Pilipinas coach Tim Cone said the breakthrough win against New Zealand was really special considering how much the home team had to overcome during their 2025 FIBA Asia Cup qualifier at the MOA Arena.
Cone said Gilas had to keep up with a highly physical team in the Tall Blacks and hold on long enough until the hosts went on a critical 16-0 blast that turned the tide in its favor before a frenzied home crowd.
“It was a tough one,” said Cone, looking happy and relieved at the same time during the postgame press conference. “They are good. They are really, really good.”
READ Gilas ends long drought vs New Zealand with gutsy home win
Gilas fell behind 8-0 before keeping the game close at 45-all at halftime. And even after that third-quarter run, New Zealand didn’t bow down easily, staying within striking distance of Gilas until the final buzzer.
Cone said New Zealand made sure to be physical especially against Justin Brownlee, Kai Sotto, and June Mar Fajardo in an attempt to limit their effectivity.
“They were incredibly physical. That’s the number one thing we had to battle through. Credit to Kai and June Mar for battling through their bigs. They were really physical with us. And of course, Justin, they were physical with Justin. They rotated two, almost three guys on him and just banged him all game long.”
Brownlee had a huge outing despite the Tall Blacks' physicality, finishing with 26 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, two steals, and two blocks for Gilas.
Of all the Gilas bigs, it was Sotto who was most effective as he had 19 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists in the 93-89 win.
Cone said Gilas also had to survive the hot shooting New Zealand team that made 18 of its 35 three-point shots for a fiery 51.4-percent clip.
“That’s incredible shooting. You’ve got to tip your cap to them. And despite the incredible shooting, we were still able to win the game,” said Cone. “To overcome that and find a way to win was really special especially with our home crowd.”
Cone acknowledged the weight of expectations that Filipino fans had to the game against the world No. 22, its second home outing of the FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers but in a much-bigger venue at the Mall of Asia Arena.
“I had so many good lucks today. I can’t tell you how many good lucks that I had before the game and all throughout the day. There was a lot of attention of the game and our guys were pressured to win. And they found a way.
"I’m proud of them,” Cone said.
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