Gilas Pilipinas Men 3×3 advanced to the semifinals of the 2026 Asian Games after outlasting defending champion Chinese Taipei, 21-19, in a tense quarterfinal showdown Thursday at Kinjo Futo Station Square in Nagoya, Japan.
The Philippines entered the knockout round unbeaten after sweeping Pool A with three victories, including wins over Asian No. 1 Mongolia, Sri Lanka and Kazakhstan. The perfect group-stage record gave the Filipinos momentum heading into the quarterfinals.
The quartet of Nic Cabañero, Luis Pablo, Doy Dungo and Koji Buenaflor controlled much of the early action against Chinese Taipei, building a 7-2 advantage before the defending champions fought back and eventually took a 14-13 lead.
The Philippines responded with another surge and moved ahead, 19-18, but Chinese Taipei again tied the game at 19-all after Dungo was called for a technical foul. With the contest hanging in the balance, Buenaflor scored on a putback to put Gilas ahead before Pablo delivered the decisive basket with 15 seconds remaining.
Pablo finished with six points and six rebounds, while Cabañero contributed eight points and two rebounds. Buenaflor added the crucial basket that restored the Philippines’ lead late in the game, while Dungo provided five points and helped spark the team’s second-half response.
The victory eliminated the reigning Asian Games champions from the competition and sent Gilas into the Final Four. The Philippines is scheduled to face South Korea in the semifinals on Friday, with a place in the gold-medal match at stake.
The 3×3 team has taken on added importance for Philippine basketball after the men’s 5-on-5 squad failed to reach the knockout stage and the women’s 5-on-5 team was eliminated in the quarterfinals. The 3×3 squads are therefore carrying the country’s remaining basketball medal hopes in Nagoya.
The men’s team’s run has been notable given that the group had only about a month to train together before the Asian Games. Cabañero, Pablo, Dungo and Buenaflor quickly developed chemistry from their previous collegiate and domestic basketball experience and have now won four straight games in the tournament.
With the semifinals next, Gilas 3×3 is now two victories away from an Asian Games gold medal. The team’s next game will determine whether its unbeaten run continues into the championship match.
