Gilas Pilipinas delivered a dominant performance, routing Hong Kong 93-54 to sweep Window 2 of the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers on Sunday night at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
The win secured a clean sweep of the first two qualifying windows, solidifying the Philippines’ perfect 4-0 record to lead Group B.
Meanwhile, Hong Kong remains winless at 0-4, languishing at the bottom of the standings.
This victory bolsters the Philippines’ push for a spot in next year’s Asia Cup in Saudi Arabia.
Gilas now await the result of the New Zealand versus Chinese Taipei matchup on Monday.
A win for the Tall Blacks would officially seal the Philippines’ qualification.
Under coach Tim Cone’s guidance, Gilas previously defeated Hong Kong 94-64 on February 22 at the Tsuen Wan Sports Centre.
“Offensively, we moved the ball a lot better in the second half, and we started defending better,” said Cone. “We’re really dependent on our ball movement.”
Gilas relied on strong contributions from June Mar Fajardo, Kai Sotto, Justin Brownlee, and Carl Tamayo, all of whom scored in double digits.
A decisive 16-2 run in the third quarter expanded the Philippines’ lead to 67-40, effectively breaking the game open.
Kevin Quiambao and Mason Amos capped off the third quarter with consecutive three-pointers, helping extend the lead to as high as 39 points.
“Dapat laro namin ‘yung gusto naming laro, dapat hindi tayo bumaba. Nagtulungan kami, nag-execute kami noong second half,” said Tamayo, who led all scorers with 16 points on 7-of-14 shooting. He also contributed five rebounds and three assists.
“Our veterans always tell us to be confident every time we step onto the floor. I just took the shots I had, and I’m very happy,” the Changwon LG import added.
Sotto continued his stellar play with another double-double, finishing with 12 points, 15 rebounds, and two assists. Fajardo added 14 points, while Brownlee chipped in 13.
For Hong Kong, Shiu Wah Leung scored 11 points, and Oliver Xu added 10 in the loss.
Gilas was without Dwight Ramos, who sat out due to calf tightness sustained during their win over New Zealand last Thursday.
Looking ahead, the Philippines will face Chinese Taipei on February 20 in the final qualifying window, aiming to maintain their momentum.
Hong Kong will host New Zealand on the same day as they seek their first win of the tournament.
The Scores:
Philippines 93 – Tamayo 16, Fajardo 14, Brownlee 13, Sotto 12, Perez 10, Newsome 9, Thompson 8, Quiambao 8, Amos 3, Oftana 0, Aguilar 0.
Hong Kong 54 – Leung S. 11, Xu 10, Yang 9, Tsai 8, Reid 6, Yip 4, Pok 3, Leung K. 3, Yeung 0, Hon 0, Ng 0, Tang 0.
Quarterscores: 25-16, 45-35, 67-43, 93-54.
