Tim Cone could not hide his disappointment after Gilas Pilipinas Men suffered another stinging loss to Chinese-Taipei — their second in six months against the same opponent.
Last February 20, Chinese-Taipei stunned the Philippines with a 91-84 win at the Taipei Heping Basketball Gymnasium.
One hundred sixty-seven days later, the Taiwanese squad proved that result was no fluke, defeating Gilas once again, 95-87, to open their FIBA Asia Cup 2025 campaign.
If one thing is certain, it’s that Chinese-Taipei head coach Gianluca Tucci has figured out how to beat the 25-time PBA champion mentor.
It’s worth noting that during the opening window of the qualifiers — where Gilas blew out Chinese-Taipei, 106-53 — it was Sang Maosen who was calling the shots for the Taiwanese side.
“Honestly, they outcoached us tonight — it was a disappointing performance on my part. This loss really hurts,” admitted Cone.
“Let’s see what we can do to bounce back and move forward, because that’s the only thing we can do at this point.”
(C) FIBA
Tucci, the Italian tactician, acknowledged the Philippines’ wealth of experience compared to his young squad. That’s why he emphasized the need for a strong start — and his team delivered, racing to a 27-13 lead late in the first quarter.
Chinese-Taipei relentlessly attacked Gilas’ defense, drawing 26 fouls and converting them into 35 free throw attempts — a key advantage that limited Justin Brownlee to just 24 minutes of action.
Beyond their aggressive offense, Chinese-Taipei also had standout performances across the board.
Chen Yungchun torched the Filipinos with six three-pointers, while Brandon Gilbeck anchored their defense.
Robert Hinton and Lin Tingchien also played crucial roles, keeping Gilas off balance all game long.
“I’m disappointed with the way we performed. We got behind early and were on our heels the entire way,” Cone said.
“It felt like we were in panic mode for all 40 minutes.”
Having now faced this revamped Chinese-Taipei squad twice, Cone knows exactly what they bring to the table — and he’s convinced they’re legitimate contenders.
“If Chinese-Taipei continues to play the way they did and keep making the shots they’re making, they’re definitely one of the teams that can contend for a medal,” said Cone.
“They’re playing high-level basketball and are very well-coached.”
