Korea crushes Gilas twice in Asian Games tune-ups

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

The Gilas Pilipinas men’s national basketball team concluded its tune-up friendlies with back-to-back lopsided losses to Korea during the Hana Bank Invitational on Sept. 6, 2026, at Suwon KT Sonicboom Arena in South Korea.

As part of its preparations for an Asian Games title defense in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, Gilas endured a rough start, losing its first game to Korea, 81-55, before suffering another rout in the rematch, 69-42.

In both games, Gilas struggled to find an offensive rhythm, defend against Korea’s high-octane attack and manage its player rotation.

Compounding the team’s problems, naturalized player Justin Brownlee has yet to arrive, and it remains uncertain whether he can play for Gilas and fill the 12th and final roster spot allotted to him.

Without Brownlee in both games, Gilas did not know whom to rely on when its half-court sets were stifled. Although Sedrick Barefield and Adrian Nocum impressed many international scouts, their individual performances alone failed to spark a comeback.

Gilas played catch-up for most of the first game, succumbing to a well-coached Korean national team fresh from its FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers campaign.

Aside from its signature 3-point shooting, Korea outplayed Gilas with its underrated pick-and-roll game and held a significant rebounding advantage.

Gilas performed better in the rematch and tried to play faster with its small-ball lineup, but once Korea found its rhythm again from downtown, the complexion of the game changed, leading to another statement victory.

As of this writing, the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas has yet to confirm whether Brownlee can arrive in Japan and reinforce the squad.

National team head coach Tim Cone said Gilas would still be ready to defend its gold medal if Brownlee did not arrive and would rely on an 11-man rotation.

The Filipino players have only four days remaining before their Asian Games opener against Bahrain, followed by games against Kazakhstan and China.

Can Gilas Pilipinas defend its Asian Games crown and win back-to-back championships in Japan?