For most players, a missed shot at the buzzer is the one that lingers — the shot that becomes legendary or the miss that haunts the mind.
For Gilas Pilipinas guard Dwight Ramos, it was neither.
Down by nine at 57-66 against New Zealand with just over three minutes remaining, the Philippines seemed destined for its first stumble in the 2027 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers.
Until Ramos took over.
Five quick points from the Levangga Hokkaido guard in Japan’s B.League sparked a furious 9-2 run that brought Gilas back to life, cutting the deficit to just two at 66-68 with eight seconds left.
With Reuben Rangi splitting his free throws, the door remained slightly open. But Ramos’ last-second heave at a potential game-tying triple rimmed out — handing the Philippines its first loss of the qualifiers, 69-66, to the Tall Blacks on Thursday evening at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.
Despite the miss, the 6-foot-4 guard refused to pin the outcome solely on his final attempt. He acknowledged he should have been more consistent on offense throughout the intense 40-minute battle to secure Gilas’ ticket to the second round of the qualifiers.
“I was trying to bank it in, and it just didn’t fall. But it’s not just about that shot, you know? I missed a lot of other shots, and I just have to be better in the future,” Ramos told reporters after finishing with 16 points on 6-of-21 shooting, along with eight rebounds, two steals, and one assist.
“I mean, I just try to stay aggressive because obviously, a lot of the focus was on JB [Justin Brownlee]. If you just watch him and expect him to do everything, it’s a lot of load on him. Everyone has to be aggressive and play their part. I just try to do mine. I was not the best today, and I’ll just try to be better moving forward.”
Ramos and the rest of the Philippine contingent will have little time to lick their wounds, as Gilas faces a stern test against World No. 6 Australia this Sunday at the same Pasay venue.
Reflecting on their first encounter on home soil since the infamous 2018 brawl inside the Philippine Arena, the 27-year-old guard who plays for Hokkaido said the team plans to ride the momentum from a strong training camp in Laguna and a well-prepared game plan against the formidable Tall Blacks.
With Aussie guard Mitch Creek returning for the first time since the 2019 FIBA World Cup, Ramos said the team will use the hard-fought loss to New Zealand as a learning experience to bring out their full potential against the Boomers.
“I think so. The coaches had a great game plan today, and the training camp was great. I think the game was this close because of the players’ effort and also the coaches’ game plan. We did a great job, and we’re all learning at the same time to try to be better,” Ramos shared.
“We’re gonna try and learn from this game. It was a close game; obviously, there’s a lot to learn because every possession counts. We’re gonna check over the mistakes and learn from this.”
#WATCH: ALL I CAN THINK ABOUT IS MY MISTAKES 🇵🇭
Dwight Ramos was hard on himself after Gilas Men’s close loss to New Zealand 🏀#ReadMore 👉 https://t.co/VzOnALd32J
📹 @ErnestTuazon /Tiebreaker Times#LabanPilipinas #FIBAWC pic.twitter.com/YAItquGBND
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) February 26, 2026
