Gilas sweeps FIBA fourth window with comeback win over Iran

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

And that’s exactly how a team under fire should respond to the wild yet passionate Filipino basketball community.

After being bashed and criticized for a winless third window of the 2027 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers, the Gilas Pilipinas men’s national basketball team bounced back with authority, pulling off a 68-56 comeback win over Iran to complete a 2-0 sweep of the fourth window at the SM Mall of Asia Arena on Aug. 30, 2026.

Fresh off a nail-biting 82-81 win over Jordan, the Filipino hoopers picked up where they left off, recovering from an early 13-point deficit to turn back Iran and boost their chances of securing another FIBA World Cup berth.

For the second consecutive game, Gilas failed to pick up the tempo or set the tone early in the first quarter as it struggled to buy a bucket against Iran’s interior help defense.

Gilas scored only seven points in the first 10 minutes and nearly entered the same danger zone it faced in its opening game against Jordan, but its struggles ended in the ensuing quarter once the Filipinos executed their sets efficiently, backed by a rejuvenated defensive stand led by Kai Sotto and AJ Edu in the shaded lane.

From a double-digit deficit, Gilas clawed its way back into the game as June Mar Fajardo and Dwight Ramos combined to spark a 15-5 run and secure a two-point cushion at halftime.

Disappointed with the second-quarter turnaround, Iran doubled its effort on the defensive end during the third period as both squads entered a tactical chess match while countering each other’s offensive sets.

Gilas started well with its pick-and-rolls and off-the-curl plays for Kevin Quiambao, but Iran countered quickly by sagging off screens, forcing the Filipinos to dump the ball inside and play more in the paint.

When Gilas went cold from the field, Juan Gomez de Liaño answered the call, putting on an offensive masterclass with seven consecutive points in two minutes to end the third quarter.

Just when Gilas thought it could steamroll its way to victory, Iran flipped the script in the first three minutes of the fourth quarter, retaking the lead on a huge 3-pointer, 52-49.

Gilas head coach Tim Cone called an emergency timeout during the tense stretch and reminded his players of one simple thing.

 

DEFENSE

A minute after the tense timeout, Gilas produced one of its best defensive stretches of the entire FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers, capping the final 7:39 of regulation with a momentum-boosting 17-4 closing run.

It was masterful how Gilas outmaneuvered Iran on the defensive end. From its tremendous frontcourt communication to its perimeter coverage, the Philippines sucked the life out of the visitors, neutralizing their outside shooting and drop passes off baseline drives.

Edu sealed the win with a huge block at the 1:59 mark that prevented Iran from trimming Gilas’ lead to four points, while Ramos applied the finishing touch with a dagger layup that extended the advantage to 10.

Gomez de Liaño and Ramos led Gilas’ charge against Iran with 16 points apiece, while Sotto contributed another dominant double-double of 13 points and 16 rebounds.

“Really sweet to come out and win this game,” Cone said after beating Iran.

“To do it at home, we had such great moments when Kai got that rebound and dunked it, when June Mar got the ball, turned, and made that jump hook; the crowd went crazy. It was one of those slow starts that we had, but the guys just kept on fighting and fighting.”