TAIPEI, Taiwan – Chinese Taipei defeated Gilas Pilipinas 91-84 on Thursday night at the Taipei Heping Basketball Gymnasium, resulting in the team’s first loss in the FIBA Asia Cup qualifying tournament. In front of a large home crowd, the defeat put an end to Gilas’ tournament winning streak.

The Filipino team erased a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter with a strong comeback. With less than 3:56 left, Justine Brownlee led the charge, making a pivotal three-pointer to put Gilas ahead 80-79. To end the game, though, Chinese Taipei answered with a commanding 12–4 run, securing their first triumph over the Philippines in almost ten years.

With clutch three-pointers, Ting-Chien Lin and Chun Hsiang Lu propelled Chinese Taipei’s late-game comeback. The team’s naturalized 7-footer, Brandon Gilbeck, sealed the game with a thunderous slam dunk in the final 17 seconds.

Tim Cone, the head coach of the Gilas, praised Chinese Taipei’s perseverance and poise during the match. He praised the team’s composure under pressure and pointed out that they were able to hold off Gilas’ numerous runs. Gilas made a valiant effort to rally, but they were unable to match the home team’s accurate shooting and well-rounded offense.

With an incredible effort, Justine Brownlee led Gilas Pilipinas with a game-high 39 points on 8 of 11 three-point attempts. He also helped the club stay competitive throughout the game by grabbing six rebounds and dishing out eight assists.

Chinese Taipei made 15 of their 43 three-point attempts, demonstrating a strong offensive effort. Chun Hsiang Lu contributed 18 points, while Ting-Chien Lin and Mohammad Al Bachir Gadiaga each scored 21. The trio outscored the Gilas defense by combining for 11 of the team’s 15 three-pointers. This was the first time Chinese Taipei had defeated the Philippines since they won 87-76 in Iran at the 2016 FIBA Asia Challenge.

With the victory, Chinese Taipei’s record in Group B improved to 2-3, maintaining their hopes of qualifying for the actual FIBA Asia Cup event. Gilbeck shot an effective 4-of-5 from the field and contributed eight points and eight rebounds.

Dwight Ramos scored 15 points for the Gilas, and AJ Edu, a promising big man, contributed 10 points and pulled down six rebounds. Gilas is still tied with New Zealand, who demolished Hong Kong with a 92-51 victory that same day, in Group B with a 4-1 record despite the setback.

New Zealand and the Philippines have already guaranteed their places in the FIBA Asia Cup, which will take place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in August. Even though it was a loss, Gilas learned a lot from the match against Chinese Taipei as it continues to get ready for the main tournament.

Gilas struggled throughout the game, falling down by as much as 13 points and having to spend a large portion of the match catching up. With 3:15 remaining, a layup from Chris Newsome put them ahead 82-81, but Chinese Taipei rallied a tremendous comeback. The home team went on a decisive run after Lin’s pivotal three-pointer, which ultimately resulted in Gilas’ loss.

Gilas Pilipinas is set for a highly anticipated rematch against New Zealand on Sunday in Auckland, aiming to bounce back from their recent defeat to Chinese Taipei. The matchup promises to be a critical test as Gilas looks to reaffirm its dominance in Group B and fine-tune its strategies ahead of the FIBA Asia Cup. Meanwhile, Chinese Taipei will travel to Hong Kong to face the bottom-ranked team in the group, hoping to strengthen their chances of qualifying for the tournament proper.

Despite the setback against Chinese Taipei, Gilas remains focused on the larger goal of preparing for the FIBA Asia Cup in Jeddah this August. The recent loss serves as a reminder of the challenges in international basketball, where maintaining composure and consistency is essential, even against lower-ranked teams.

As they head into the clash with the Tall Blacks, Gilas Pilipinas views each game as a vital step toward Asia Cup success. The upcoming match will once again test the team’s resilience, adaptability, and readiness on the global stage, as they strive to refine their form and build momentum in their pursuit of regional basketball glory.