MANILA — Gilas Pilipinas suffered its first loss in the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 qualifiers, falling to Chinese Taipei, 91-84, in a tough away game on Thursday night at the Taipei Heping Basketball Gymnasium in Taiwan.
Justin Brownlee scored 39 points, including 8-of-11 shooting from beyond the arc, but couldn’t carry Gilas after the team fell behind by 13 points early.
This marks the Philippines’ first loss to Chinese Taipei since the 2016 FIBA Asia Challenge in Tehran, Iran.
Chinese Taipei’s last win over the Philippines was in the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship in Manila, where Gilas bounced back to finish as runners-up to Iran, securing a spot in the 2014 World Cup in Seville, Spain.
Chun Hsiang Lu contributed 18 points, including a crucial three-pointer with 47.1 seconds left to give Chinese Taipei an 89-84 lead, which ultimately sealed the win and their second victory in five games, placing them third in Group B.
The third-placed teams from each group will advance to a qualifying tournament for the remaining four spots in the FIBA Asia Cup 2025, set to take place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in August.
Brownlee led a 15-2 run with three consecutive three-pointers, giving Gilas an 80-79 lead. However, Chinese Taipei quickly regained control with five straight points, including a follow-up dunk from naturalized player Brandon Gilbeck, pushing the score to 86-82.
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