Gilas falls short, sustains 1st FIBA World Cup Qualifiers loss to NZL

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

The Gilas Pilipinas Men’s National Basketball Team dropped its first FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers loss to New Zealand, 69-66, on Feb. 26, 2026, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

After kicking off its FIBA World Cup bid with back-to-back wins during the first Asian Qualifiers window against Guam, the Filipinos couldn’t sustain their momentum, absorbing a painful defeat in front of thousands of kababayans who flocked to MOA on a busy and crowded Thursday night.

Gilas had a solid start in the first quarter, building a seven-point lead spearheaded by the waxing-hot CJ Perez, who immediately exploded for 10 points in just five minutes.

However, Gilas’ momentum got halted when Perez was whistled for his second foul, leading to an early personnel reshuffle for head coach Tim Cone, who had to sit out the San Miguel Beermen superstar.

New Zealand slowly dictated the pace as soon as Perez got benched, relying on their efficient 3-point shooting to turn the tables around with a four-point cushion, 25-21, heading into the second quarter.

Despite Gilas’ offense slowing down, Cone’s adjustment on the defensive end with back-to-back mixed zone sets kept them at bay, which paved the way for a late rally that capped off the first half in a 37-all deadlock.

Just when Cone and Gilas thought they were in a safe space, the Tall Blacks spoiled their expectations as New Zealand sucked the life out of the Philippines with a demoralizing 20-9 scoring run in the third quarter.

New Zealand closed the third quarter with a momentum-boosting 20-4 run, holding Gilas to just a single field goal converted during that stretch.

As a result of the one-sided frame, New Zealand entered the fourth quarter with an 11-point lead, 57-46, and took control of the game’s tempo by turning the high-octane action into a grueling and physical paint-oriented showdown.

Gilas nearly staged a thrilling come-from-behind effort after trimming its nine-point deficit to just two, kicked off by a Quentin Millora-Brown jumper at the 2:47 mark.

After Millora-Brown’s perimeter conversion, Gilas was able to complete back-to-back defensive stops and inched closer through an AJ Edu dunk and a Dwight Ramos trey, 66-64, with only 45 seconds remaining.

However, New Zealand buried the dagger tip-in, taking advantage of Gilas’ miscommunication on the defensive board that stretched its cushion to four points, 68-64.

Ramos tried to keep Gilas alive after burying an acrobatic layup, but Reuben Te Rangi’s cold-blooded free throw was enough to help New Zealand survive the home bets’ furious scoring avalanche.

Much of the postgame buzz focused less on Gilas’ top contributors and more on Justin Brownlee’s performance, as he was held to his worst game wearing the national team jersey.

In the loss to New Zealand, Brownlee finished with a Gilas career-low four points, built from a dismal 2-of-10 shooting from the field.

Brownlee and Gilas will have several days to reset before returning to the hardwood on March 1, 2026, as they face the undefeated Australian national basketball team at the SM MOA Arena.