2025 FIBA ASIA CUP | GILAS' DISASTROUS STARTS

Gilas Pilipinas dropped their first game of the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup, falling to a red-hot Chinese Taipei squad, 95–87. The loss was defined by a disastrous first quarter, foul trouble, untimely turnovers, and the early exit of naturalized star Justin Brownlee.

CT has given Gilas its second defeat in as many bouts under their new and improved lineup.

Chinese Taipei came out guns blazing, taking control early behind a scoring explosion from Chen Ying-Chun, who torched the Filipinos with 34 points. Gilas looked tentative out of the gate, struggling to establish rhythm on both ends of the court.

By the time they settled in, it was already an uphill battle.

Brownlee, who remains the heart of this squad, was a double-edged sword in this match. He brought stability when Gilas finally found their footing—but his fifth foul took him out of the game just as momentum was shifting.

In his absence, Kevin Quiambao stepped up in a big way. The young forward made the most of his minutes, scoring 17 points, including a highlight-reel stepback triple that cut into the deficit. Scottie Thompson and Dwight Ramos also provided big-time performances, helping Gilas claw back and bring the lead down to just six, 80–74, late in the fourth.

Unfortunately, the early damage proved too much to overcome.

With this loss, Gilas faces a must-win scenario in their next outings against New Zealand and Iraq. If they want to stay alive in the tournament and avoid another early exit, they’ll need to clean up their starts, tighten up on defense, and keep their top guns on the floor.

Gilas Pilipinas has developed a pattern—and not a good one.

With barely any prep time heading into the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup, the team has made it a habit to sleepwalk through the first quarter, only to come alive in the next three. It’s like watching an old Fernando Poe Jr. film: the hero gets beat up, humiliated, left for dead… before rising to deliver justice.

But this is basketball. We don’t have 30 to 35 minutes to wait for the epic turnaround.

Against Chinese Taipei, that slow start cost us. The final score, 95–87, doesn’t tell the whole story. Chen Ying-Chun lit us up for 34 points. We fumbled early, played catch-up all game, and even when we started to click in the second quarter, it was on the back of an eight-man rotation—with Justin Brownlee doing heavy lifting until he fouled out.

Sure, Gilas made a run. Sure, the deficit shrunk. But let’s not ignore what truly sparked the turnaround: Kevin Quiambao.

This is the same Kevin Quiambao who, along with Carl Tamayo, was part of the 2022 FIBA Asia Cup squad that reached the quarterfinals. Back then, Chot Reyes was calling the shots because Tab Baldwin asked out of the program. Fast forward to now—only Quiambao and Tamayo remain as holdovers from the "future of Philippine basketball" squad that Tab Baldwin envisioned.

And yet, despite Quiambao dazzling in limited minutes—knocking down a filthy stepback triple and showing off his versatility—Tim Cone continues to keep him and Tamayo glued to the bench.

Yes, Cone loves his tight rotation. That’s his thing. But what made previous Gilas squads unpredictable was their willingness to roll the dice, throw different combinations at the opponent, and let the kids play with fire.

Against Chinese Taipei, that unpredictability was gone. The same veterans logged big minutes. And while Cone leans heavily on 30-somethings like June Mar Fajardo and Calvin Oftana—both of whom are still recovering from the Philippine Cup grind—young talents like CJ Perez, Carl Tamayo, and even their other reserve big Japeth Aguilar barely saw action.

Don’t forget: RJ Abarrientos was cut last minute despite being part of the earlier pool. Another 2022 holdover. Another young player pushed aside. It made sense from a roster-building standpoint since he wasn't part of Cone's earlier versions, but the pattern is clear—Cone’s system favors stability over exploration.

That works in the PBA. Not necessarily on the international stage.

I thought the reason for the lopsided trade that sent Abarrientos, Stephen Holt, and Isaac Go to Ginebra, alongside the midseason acquisition of Troy Rosario, was to beef up the Gilas Pilipinas talent pool?

The truth? One reason our top young players are jumping to Japan and Korea is they know they’ll get minutes there. They won’t get stuck behind veterans out of loyalty or familiarity. They won’t have to wait for their time to shine, only to be benched once the games matter.

And before anyone says I’m being too hard on Cone—look back. Former Alaska, San Mig, and Ginebra rookies like Aaron Aban, Ken Bono, JR Quiñahan, Elmer Espiritu, Kelvin Dela Peña, Aldrech Ramos, Kevin Ferrer, Jeremiah Gray, and Arvin Tolentino all had their careers either perpetually stall or flourish after leaving his system. That’s not a coincidence.

But again, this is not Tim Cone's fault. For every failed rookie under his watch, he also had the likes of Johnny Abarrientos, Poch Juinio, Jeffrey Cariaso, Sonny Thoss, John Arigo, Mike Cortez, Mark Barroca, and Scottie Thompson.

Carl Tamayo and Kevin Quiambao have paid their dues. Like Ramos, Edu, and Kai Sotto before them, they’ve proven themselves outside the PBA. They’ve earned more than just token minutes. They deserve to be part of the solution—not just an insurance policy.

They also offer what this team desperately needs: fresh legs and unpredictability. 

Every scouting report in the Asia Cup knows what Justin Brownlee will bring. But are opposing teams preparing for Tamayo’s face-up game or Quiambao’s court vision and offensive versatility?

Doubtful.

Look, New Zealand is a tall task. Literally and figuratively. Fajardo and Edu will likely rack up fouls, so it makes even more sense to give minutes to our multi-positional assets like Quiambao—and not just as garbage time guys.

Then comes Iraq, a do-or-die game to make it to the next round.

If there's a time to shake things up, it’s now.

Let Cone be Cone. Let Brownlee be Brownlee. But give the kids a real shot to change the game. Stretch the bench. Trust the young guns. Let’s stop treating Gilas games like cinematic redemption arcs.

Because in real life, sometimes the epic FPJ comeback doesn’t happen in time.