Tim Cone is a man who’s rarely at a loss for words. But after Gilas Pilipinas swept the fourth window of the 2027 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers, he was left speechless, and for good reason.
The Philippines is back on track for a fourth straight FIBA World Cup appearance after pulling off two crucial victories in the fourth window. The team first escaped Jordan in an overtime thriller, 82-81, before securing a decisive 68-56 win over Iran — a team they had beaten just three times in their previous 13 encounters.
And with the wins, they accomplished exactly what they set out to do.
For a Gilas program that had suffered a four-game losing streak prior to the window, the back-to-back victories could not have come at a better time, and Cone could not have been happier.
“I’m extremely happy. Kai [Sotto] just asked me walking in, ‘Are you now the happiest guy in the world?’ ‘Cause I said earlier, if we can win these two games, I’ll be the happiest guy in the world.
“The guys just kept fighting and fighting, and getting back in the game. Just a great character performance by these guys in both games,” Cone said.
One of the biggest concerns heading into the window was playing without the ever-reliable naturalized player Justin Brownlee.
The Gilas program has rarely relied on a purely Filipino lineup. With games as important as these, Cone felt especially proud of the guts his players showed in accomplishing the extraordinary feat.
“We were able to do it all-Filipino pa, so it just makes it really sweet to come and win these games, and to do it at home,” he noted.
Taking on the “import duties” during this window, according to the Gilas head coach, was Kai Sotto.
The 7-foot-1 big man had yet to suit up in the qualifiers before this window, but his impact was immediate. Sotto averaged a double-double of 15.5 points and 15 rebounds across the two games.
The window also carried added significance with June Mar Fajardo playing his final game in national team colors.
Even the crowd recognized the moment, erupting into deafening cheers every time the Gilas veteran touched the ball.
Following Sunday’s victory — and, effectively, his retirement from the national team — Cone was perhaps the last person willing to accept Fajardo’s decision to hang up his jersey.
“I was kidding June Mar, cause the guys were all congratulating him and celebrating. So I turned to him and said, ‘I refuse, June Mar. You’re on call.’
“But his intention is to retire from Gilas, but I’m not sure we’re gonna let him do that,” Cone quipped.
Fajardo finished his national team swan song with six points and two rebounds.
Both Sotto and Fajardo made Cone’s list of memorable moments from the fourth window, made even more special by the presence of Gilas’ sixth man — the home crowd.
“We had such great moments when Kai dunked it; the crowd was just deafening. When June Mar [Fajardo] got the ball and made that jump hook, the crowd went crazy,” he recalled.
Given the importance of these home victories to the Philippines’ World Cup hopes, Cone hopes Gilas can carry the momentum into the fifth window in November.
Before then, however, Cone and his staff will have to quickly shift their focus to the Asian Games, where an all-PBA squad will represent the country.
For now, though, Cone can look back on the fourth window knowing that Gilas accomplished its mission.
“They all knew the importance of it; they all knew what the importance was for them, and for the country. It was really fun to be a part of it.”
