Gilas Pilipinas stayed true to its promise of collectively making up for the absence of Justin Brownlee.
The Philippines unleashed all its firepower when it mattered most. Kevin Quiambao drained the go-ahead triple, then Kai Sotto delivered a game-saving block to stun Jordan in overtime, 82-81, for a much-needed victory to open Pool E of the 2027 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers on Friday at a jam-packed SM Mall of Asia Arena.
The win also marked Gilas’ return to the victory column after suffering four straight losses to Oceanic powerhouses Australia and New Zealand in the final two windows of the first round. The team has improved its record to 3-4, moving up to solo fifth place.
“It was fantastic. It was fun to be a part of. It’s good to be on this side of it,” said Philippines head coach Tim Cone.
“It came down to defense and Kai came up with that block, but it was before CJ made that pass to KQ for the three,” he added.
Jalen Harris’ jumper with 1:53 remaining in overtime put Jordan ahead, 78-74, but the Filipinos refused to fold.
After AJ Edu split his free throws, CJ Perez followed with a fearless drive to the basket. Sotto then put back a missed Quiambao three-pointer to put the Philippines ahead, 79-78, with 41.5 seconds left.
Harris attacked the basket on the other end and drew a foul, but appeared to hurt himself in the process. That forced Jordan to turn to Omar Salman, who was cold off the bench, to take the free throws. Salman split the pair, tying the game at 79 with 30.6 seconds remaining.
Quiambao, however, would not miss two straight three-pointers from the same spot. He calmly drilled the biggest shot of the game with 11.7 seconds left to give Gilas an 82-79 advantage.
It was the Philippines’ only three-pointer of the second half.
Before Quiambao’s heroics, Gilas also got a massive defensive lift from Scottie Thompson. He took on the difficult assignment of guarding Harris and effectively shut down the Jordanian naturalized player in the second half and overtime.
Harris, who entered the contest averaging 27.0 points per game, was limited to just five points after halftime as Thompson repeatedly stayed in front of him and made every possession difficult.
With Jordan needing a basket in the dying seconds, Sotto then used his 7-foot-3 frame to deny Abdullah Olajuwon’s would-be game-winning layup, preserving the thrilling Gilas victory.
“Sobrang saya ko na lahat nag-contribute. Slow start kami pero nakita niyo naman nilaban namin. Sobrang proud ako sa team namin ngayon,” said Sotto, who dominated with 18 points, 14 rebounds, and two blocks.
“Tinira ko lang. Pinapractice ko yung shots na yun pero ayun nga off ako this game, it’s just all guts na lang,” shared Quiambao on his go-ahead trey.
Meanwhile, Perez provided his own dose of heroics in the fourth quarter, scoring 10 points in the period, including the game-tying layup with 43.7 seconds remaining.
He finished with 16 points, 14 of which came in the fourth quarter and overtime.
Quiambao wound up with 14 points and five rebounds, while Dwight Ramos also chipped in 14 points, five rebounds, and three assists. Edu added nine points and 10 rebounds in a crucial all-around performance.
Carl Tamayo, who was enjoying a strong outing with eight first-half points, was forced to leave the game with eight minutes remaining in the third quarter after hurting his left leg in a collision in the paint.
The Philippines will next face Iran on Sunday at 8:00 PM, still at the MOA Arena.
Jordan, meanwhile, dropped to 5-2, creating a three-way tie for second place with Iran and New Zealand.
Freddy Ibrahim led the Jordanians with 22 points, although 15 of those came in the first half.
Harris, Jordan’s naturalized player, struggled mightily against Thompson’s defense, finishing with 19 points on just 6-of-22 shooting from the field, including 2-of-14 inside the paint. He managed only five points in the second half and overtime.
Olajuwon added 17 points but also struggled with his efficiency, making just five of his 15 attempts from the field.
The Scores:
Philippines 82 — Sotto 18, Perez 16, Ramos 14, Quiambao 14, Edu 9, Tamayo 8, Fajardo 2, Thompson 1, Gomez de Liaño 0, Newsome 0, Baltazar 0.
Jordan 81 — Ibrahim 22, Harris 19, Olajuwon 17, Saleh 5, Alhamarsheh 4, Alshami 4, Dwairi 4, Abu Hawwas 3, Kilani 2, Salman 1, Shaher 0.
Quarterscores: 14-28, 39-44, 54-58, 72-72, 82-81.
