Gilas Pilipinas came within inches of stealing one of its biggest road wins in recent memory before New Zealand's poise in crunch time proved decisive.
The Philippines squandered a four-point lead in the second overtime and absorbed a heartbreaking 106-102 defeat to the Tall Blacks in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers on Friday, July 3, at Spark Arena in Auckland.
Despite the loss, Gilas had already secured its place in the second round alongside Australia and New Zealand, with Guam officially eliminated from Pool A.
The defeat, however, extended the Philippines' skid against the Tall Blacks to four straight games since its historic 93-89 triumph in Manila in November 2024.
Gilas appeared on the verge of ending that drought after AJ Edu's dunk and a Justin Brownlee three-pointer gave the visitors a 100-96 cushion early in the second extra period.
But foul trouble and costly late-game mistakes unraveled the comeback.
Reuben Te Rangi and Carlin Davison calmly knocked down four consecutive free throws to tie the game at 100 with 1:19 remaining before Brownlee was whistled for an offensive foul on the next possession.
Sam Mennenga converted the ensuing opportunity to put New Zealand back on top. Although Kevin Quiambao answered with a game-tying layup, Mennenga cleaned up a Davison miss to restore the Tall Blacks' lead.
Out of a timeout, Davison intercepted Juan Gomez de Liaño's inbound pass, and Brownlee committed a breakaway foul. Jordan Ngatai and Shea Ili sealed the outcome from the foul line.
"It would have been nice to come down here and steal a game; that would have been special," Gilas head coach Tim Cone said.
"The fact that we got as close as we did, obviously, is a huge disappointment once you feel like it's in your grasp and you let it slip away; that makes it tough.
"We had chances in regulation and in both overtimes to win that basketball game, and we just came up short. The bottom line was our guys came to play. They expended a lot of energy just staying in the game. Went down by twelve early in the game, battled back, and came ahead by seven, but again we couldn't just hold it. We missed some free throws, fouled a few times more than we should have, and that's probably the story of the game."
Brownlee struggles as Tall Black execute game plan
New Zealand made containing Brownlee its top priority -- and succeeded.
After averaging 16.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.8 assists through Gilas' first four qualifying games, the naturalized star was held to just five points on only three shot attempts. He finished with eight rebounds, four assists, three turnovers, and eventually fouled out late in the second overtime.
Tall Blacks head coach Judd Flavell acknowledged Brownlee remained the focal point of their scouting report.
"A lot of thoughts. A game like that, there's a lot going on, and it could have gone either way. I think that's a true game of international basketball," Flavell said.
"We had objectives that we had to do. Obviously, Justin Brownlee is their focal point offensively. We did a good job on him, but it opened up a lot of things for the others. They capitalized on it."
With Brownlee largely neutralized, Gilas trailed by as many as 12 points, 55-43, early in the third quarter before finding another source of energy.
Young guns answer the call
With Brownlee limited offensively and veteran mainstays Scottie Thompson, Calvin Oftana, and CJ Perez sidelined by injuries, Gilas turned to its emerging young core - and the group responded with one of its grittiest performances yet, nearly pulling off a signature road upset.
FIBA debutant Mike Phillips injected life into the Philippines despite modest numbers of two points and three rebounds in 10 minutes. His relentless energy helped spark the comeback as Gilas erased a double-digit deficit and took a 64-63 lead into the fourth quarter.
Gomez de Liaño and Kevin Quiambao spearheaded the offense with 23 points apiece. The former added six rebounds, four assists, and a steal, including the game-tying triple that forced overtime and another clutch three that briefly put Gilas ahead in the first extra session.
Dwight Ramos recovered from a slow start to contribute 18 points, four rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and a steal, while Carl Tamayo chipped in 17 points behind three triples.
With the game tied at 68, RJ Abarrientos sparked a decisive 9-2 burst alongside baskets from Edu, Quiambao, and Ramos to hand Gilas a 77-70 advantage.
New Zealand answered with a late run and moved ahead 83-80 before Gomez de Liaño buried a clutch three-pointer with 11.9 seconds left in regulation to force overtime.
In the first extra period, Gomez de Liaño struck again, drilling another triple with 8.3 seconds remaining to give Gilas a 93-91 lead. But Ramos was called for a foul on Ili on the ensuing possession, allowing the New Zealand guard to sink two free throws and send the game into a second overtime.
Cone said performances like Friday's are evidence that Gilas' next generation continues to mature.
"That's how you evolve the team. You try to win with your veterans and you try to develop your young guys," he stated.
"Our young guys have been developing over the last two and a half years, and every time they come in a window, they've gotten better. When we first got them on the team, they were 21 years old, and now they're 24-25, so they have evolved along with the team."
On the other hand, Flavell credited New Zealand's composure down the stretch.
"We got an experienced group, and it's the experience that got the job done down the stretch," Flavell pointed out.
Te Rangi led the Tall Blacks with 22 points, while Ili added 21 points and six assists. Sam Waardenburg posted 16 points and 10 rebounds, and Mennenga finished with 13 points, six rebounds, three assists, and three steals.
Gilas closes out the first round against Australia in Perth on Monday, July 6, while New Zealand hosts Guam in Auckland on the same day.
