IN A stunning turn of events, Justin Brownlee’s remarkable performance led Gilas Pilipinas to a sensational comeback victory over host nation China, with a final score of 77-76 Wednesday night.

This thrilling win secured their place in the finals of the men’s basketball competition at the 19th Asian Games.

When the situation looked dire, Brownlee rose to the occasion, embarking on a scoring spree that included three crucial field goals, the last two of which were remarkable 3-pointers. These dramatic shots left the heavily partisan crowd at the HOC Gymnasium in Hangzhou in disbelief.

The climax came with Brownlee sinking a 3-pointer over two Chinese defenders with just 23 seconds remaining. In the subsequent possession, China attempted to respond but fell short when Zhang Zhenlin’s attempt from beyond the arc missed the mark. Gilas secured the rebound and watched the clock expire.

This remarkable turnaround began with Gilas trailing by as much as 20 points in the second half, with a score of 46-26. However, their determination and resilience shone through, and they managed to narrow the gap to four points, 71-67, with 4:34 left in the game, thanks to a crucial basket by Kevin Alas.

China seemed to regain control, extending their lead to 76-67 with just over three minutes remaining after a 3-pointer by Runwang Du and a 2-pointer by Hu. But Gilas wasn’t finished. CJ Perez’s 2-pointer and a stunning floater by Brownlee brought the deficit back to five, 76-71, with 1:31 on the clock. Then came Brownlee’s jaw-dropping back-to-back 3-pointers.

Brownlee ended the game with an impressive 33 points, including seven successful 3-pointers. He also contributed five rebounds and four assists to the team’s victory. Rui Zhao led China with 18 points and six assists.

With this thrilling victory, the current Gilas team assembled just weeks before the Asiad, has dethroned China, which had long dominated Asian basketball. The finals, scheduled for 8 p.m. on Friday, October 6 (Manila time), will see Gilas face off against Jordan in a rematch of their earlier group play encounter.

This marks the Philippines’ first appearance in an Asiad finals since the 1990 edition of the Games, also held in China, where they finished as the runners-up behind the host nation.

Securing a guaranteed silver medal in this year’s Asiad is a significant achievement, the first since 1998 when the Filipino basketball team, interestingly, was also under the guidance of their current coach, Tim Cone, and brought home the bronze medal.

(ai/mnm)