MANILA, Philippines -- After a slow start that saw Gilas Pilipinas trail by as many as 18 points in the first half, Kevin Quiambao's clutch triple and Kai Sotto's rejection clinched the 82-81 overtime victory over Jordan in the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup Asian Qualifiers at the Mall of Asia Arena on Friday.
The victory improves Philippines' record to 3-4 in the second round in Group E, trailing the three-way tie of Jordan, Iran, and New Zealand on 5-2.
We take a deep dive in this crucial win against the Falcons, which could provide a huge boost to Gilas' World Cup chances.
How Sotto made Gilas' flow better
It took four windows before Gilas finally had the luxury of having Sotto back in the fold.
The individual numbers were hardly dominant from an efficiency standpoint -- 18 points and 14 rebounds on just 8-for-21 shooting -- but Sotto's value to Gilas went beyond the box score. Simply having a legitimate interior presence changed the way Jordan had to defend, giving the Philippines a different offensive dimension after struggling to consistently generate good looks from the perimeter, evidenced by their 4-for-22 outside sniping in this game.
With Gilas lacking reliable shooters on the roster, and without Justin Brownlee as a bailout option, Sotto became the team's biggest source of pressure inside. His ability to establish himself as a post mismatch forced Jordan's defenders to collapse toward the paint, creating space for Gilas to attack around him.
The 24-year-old center also provided a different way for Gilas to initiate its offense. Rather than simply being a target in the post, Sotto functioned as an offensive hub, facilitating dribble handoffs and two-man actions from the elbows and high post. His three assists do not fully capture how often his screens and rolls forced Jordan's defense to make decisions.
For head coach Tim Cone, that was precisely what made Sotto's return so important.
"Everybody's better when he's on the floor," Cone said.
"Whether it be through passing or screening or rolling, the attention he grabs, he just makes everybody around him better."
And that impact became even more apparent on the defensive end. With Cone eventually leaning into a one-big lineup, Sotto's ability to drop back and protect the paint gave Gilas a safety net against Jordan's penetration. Instead of allowing the guards to turn the corner and attack an open lane, Sotto's presence at the rim forced them to think twice about finishing inside with two blocks to show for.
It ultimately became decisive in the game's biggest defensive possession. Abdullah Olajuwon had already shown that he could get downhill and finish at the rim with 17 markers.
But with Jordan needing a basket late, Olajuwon tried to attack the paint once more -- only for Sotto to meet him at the summit.
"And also patrolling the paint, especially in the second half, not allowing Harris and Ibrahim to get to the rim on us." Cone said.
"And Olajuwon at the end. Remember Olajuwon earlier was getting to the rim with impunity. But that last play, he tried to get to the rim, and of course Kai rejected him."
Edu's defensive versatility on ball screens
As Gilas started on the wrong foot, trailing 28-14 at the end of the first quarter while allowing Jordan to shoot six triples on nine attempts, Cone decided to move away from the Sotto-June Mar Fajardo frontcourt. Jordan had repeatedly exposed their inability to get high enough on screens, giving Jalen Harris and Freddy Ibrahim clean looks from deep.
Fortunately for the Philippines, the entry of AJ Edu provided an immediate solution to that defensive dilemma and became one of the reasons the complexion of the game changed.
The Gunma Crane Thunder reinforcement did not make much of an impact offensively, often relying on dump-offs and shots created for him as he finished with nine points on 3-for-6 shooting from two-point range. But defensively, Edu's versatility immediately gave Gilas another dimension.
Edu changed the way Gilas defended Jordan's ball screens, allowing the Philippines to become more aggressive against Harris and Ibrahim. His ability to step up on screens without completely giving up the paint disrupted Jordan's rhythm from beyond the arc, as the Jordanians finished just 36.4% from three for the game.
That was particularly evident with Harris and Ibrahim. The two combined for seven triples in the first half, but managed just one between them after the break as Edu's presence made it more difficult for them to turn ball screens into pull-up opportunities with help of the pesky on-ball defense and chase of Scottie Thompson.
"AJ was phenomenal. He changed our pick-and-roll defense," Cone said
"We had to change our schemes from the first half because we weren't getting up on screens and Harris was rising and Ibrahim was rising from screens and getting shots. And with AJ's defensive versatility, we were able to jump out of screens and really kind of stop their offense in its tracks and we wouldn't have been able to get back into the game."
That adjustment essentially allowed Gilas to hedge its way through Jordan's ball-screen actions, with Edu stepping up toward the ball-handler before recovering to his man. Instead of conceding the pull-up three or allowing Harris and Ibrahim to turn the corner, Gilas forced Jordan's guards to give up the ball or settle for tougher shots.
Edu also proved to be an ideal partner for Sotto in the frontcourt. While Sotto provided the size and rim protection, as he finished with 11 rebounds, seven of them coming on the offensive end, giving Gilas additional possessions that complemented his defensive impact.
Will Gilas continue to push the pace?
It's not regular to see a Cone-led squad play at a fast pace, but it became the most efficient offense Gilas could generate vs. Jordan and helped to ignite the team's rhythm. The Philippines finished with an 18-5 advantage in fastbreak points while also converting Jordan's mistakes into a 19-7 edge in points off turnovers.
That opened up the floor for returning Gilas guard CJ Perez, who played one of his better games in a national team uniform. With more opportunities to attack in space rather than constantly facing a set defense, Perez finished with 16 points on 50% shooting from the field.
For Cone, the increased pace was less about deliberately changing Gilas' identity and more about maximizing what his personnel could do in the open court.
"That's not my intention, but I mean at this point, you do what you can for the skills of your players," Cone said.
"Right now, we just tried to open the game for CJ [and] we saw it was working, so we let it go."
Another key to Gilas' transition attack was its work on the glass. The Philippines dominated the rebounding battle, 56-42, giving them the extra possessions and outlets needed to immediately turn defensive stops into offense.
"As long as we control the boards and get the ball out, then there's no reason why CJ, Scottie, Dwight [Ramos], and KQ can't get out in the open court." Cone said.
The question now is whether Cone continues to lean into that pace heading into Gilas' last game of the window, against Iran, especially when the players can consistently win the rebounding and turnover battles that make running possible.
