MANILA, Philippines — Gilas Pilipinas looked headed toward another painful defeat. Instead, Kai Sotto, CJ Perez and Kevin Quiambao delivered a comeback that may prove crucial to the Philippines’ hopes of returning to the FIBA Basketball World Cup.
Playing without naturalized star Justin Brownlee, the Philippines erased an 18-point first-quarter deficit before escaping Jordan, 82-81 in overtime, Friday night at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
The victory snapped Gilas’ four-game losing streak in the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup Asian Qualifiers and improved the national team to 3-4 in Group E, keeping the Philippines in the race for one of the group’s World Cup berths.
And fittingly, the game came down to one final defensive play.
Kai Sotto Makes His Gilas Return Count
Back with the national team after nearly two years away, Sotto finished with an official FIBA stat line of 18 points, 14 rebounds and two blocks.
None was bigger than the last one.
With Gilas protecting an 82-81 advantage in the closing seconds of overtime, Jordan’s Abdullah Olajuwon attacked the basket looking for the game-winning layup. Sotto rotated into position and rejected the attempt as time expired, triggering celebrations inside the arena.
The performance immediately made Sotto one of FIBA’s highlighted performers from the August 28 qualifying games.
It was also an important correction to some early reports of the game: FIBA officially credited Sotto with 14 rebounds, not 10.
Gilas Was Down 18 — Then Everything Changed
The ending seemed almost impossible after the way the night started.
Jordan exploded to a 26-8 advantage late in the first quarter and led 28-14 entering the second. Gilas, already missing Brownlee, suddenly faced the possibility of watching its World Cup qualifying campaign slip further away.
But the Philippines gradually changed the game.
Gilas outscored Jordan 25-16 in the second quarter, with Carl Tamayo helping ignite the comeback before the contest tightened after halftime.
Jordan regained control at several points, but Gilas refused to disappear.
CJ Perez became particularly important late. After going scoreless in the first half, the explosive guard finished with 16 points, four rebounds and a crucial assist, repeatedly attacking the defense during the fourth quarter and overtime.
Then came Kevin Quiambao.
With the score tied at 79 and just 11.7 seconds remaining in overtime, Perez found Quiambao behind the arc.
Quiambao fired.
Three.
Gilas led 82-79.
The forward finished with 14 points, while Dwight Ramos also scored 14 as the Philippines compensated for Brownlee’s absence with a collective effort.
Jordan cut the deficit to one before getting its final opportunity, setting the stage for Sotto’s game-saving block.
Tim Cone Asked for a ‘One-Point Win’ — Gilas Literally Delivered
There was another remarkable detail behind the victory.
Before the game, Gilas coach Tim Cone had written a message for his players: “Grind It — One Point Win.”
Cone later explained that the idea was not necessarily to win by exactly one point. It was about convincing his players that every possession, defensive stop and loose ball had to matter.
After 45 minutes of basketball, the Philippines had done exactly that — winning by one.
The message takes on added significance considering how little room for error Gilas has left.
Results from the first qualifying round carry into the second round, and FIBA says only the top three teams in Group E will qualify directly for the 2027 World Cup in Qatar. The Philippines entered Window 4 at just 2-4, behind Australia, Iran, Jordan and New Zealand.
The Jordan victory moved Gilas to 3-4, but the job is nowhere near finished.
Another Problem Emerges: Carl Tamayo’s Injury
The comeback also came with a potentially costly development.
Tamayo suffered an ankle injury with 7:58 remaining in the third quarter and did not return. He was able to walk afterward, but Cone said his availability for the Philippines’ next game would depend on how he recovers.
That next game could be even more important.
Iran Is Next — And Gilas Still Has Almost No Margin for Error
Gilas faces Iran on Sunday, August 30, at the Mall of Asia Arena, another crucial Group E encounter.
Historically, Iran has been a difficult opponent for the Philippines. FIBA’s head-to-head records entering the matchup show Iran holding a 6-1 advantage in their previous seven meetings, including victories over Gilas in the 2019 World Cup and 2019 Asian Qualifiers. The Philippines’ lone win in that listed stretch came at the 2015 FIBA Asia Championship.
That makes Friday night’s dramatic win more than just another memorable Gilas finish.
It bought the Philippines something it desperately needed:
another chance.
After an 18-point deficit, the absence of Brownlee, Tamayo’s injury and five additional minutes of overtime, Gilas somehow remained standing.
Sotto’s final block preserved the victory.
But whether it ultimately preserves the Philippines’ road to Qatar could depend on what happens against Iran next.
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