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Gilas Pilipinas suffered a tough defeat in their 2025 FIBA Asia Cup opener, falling to Chinese Taipei, 95–87, on Wednesday morning, August 6 (Manila time), at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

The loss leaves the Philippines with a 0–1 record in Group D, matching Iraq, while Chinese Taipei and New Zealand both hold early wins in the group standings.

Justin Brownlee led Gilas with 19 points, seven rebounds, and two assists but fouled out midway through the fourth quarter, hampering the team’s comeback hopes. Kevin Quiambao provided a spark off the bench with 17 points (3-of-6 from three), four rebounds, and two assists, while Dwight Ramos and Scottie Thompson chipped in 16 points each.

A slow start proved costly for the Nationals, as poor defense and turnovers allowed Chinese Taipei to rack up 27 points in the opening period and forced Gilas to play catch-up throughout.

“Obviously, we didn’t play a very good game. We were outcoached, and it was a disappointing one on my part,” said Gilas Coach Tim Cone.

Gilas trimmed a 17-point deficit to within two possessions several times in the second half, but Chinese Taipei’s hot shooting—especially from Ying-Chun Chen, who poured in 34 points and six three-pointers—kept the Philippines at bay. Brownlee’s early exit with over four minutes left only added to the team’s woes.

The Philippines struggled with fouls, committing 26 and sending Taiwan to the line for 35 free throws (making 27, 77.1%). Despite a 48–24 rebounding edge, Gilas couldn’t capitalize.

With a quick turnaround, the team now shifts focus to its next game against New Zealand on Thursday, August 7, at 11:00 p.m.

Cone emphasized: “There is only one thing we can do at this point, and that is move on. We’ve got New Zealand coming in two days, so we gotta get ready for them.”

The Scores:

Chinese Taipei 95 – Chen Y.C. 34, Gilbeck 16, R. Hinton 14, Lin 14, Gadiaga 5, A. Hinton 4, Tseng 4, Ma 3, Hu 1, Liu 0, Gao 0, Chen K.C. 0.

Gilas Pilipinas 87 – Brownlee 19, Quiambao 17, Thompson 16, Ramos 16, Edu 8, Oftana 6, Newsome 3, Fajardo 2, Perez 0, Aguilar 0, Tamayo 0.

Aspiring to play in Asia’s first-ever pay-for-play league? Now’s your chance! The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) has officially opened applications for the 2025 Rookie Draft, ahead of its milestone 50th season tipping off on October 5, 2025.

Application forms are now available at the PBA office, and hopefuls have three weeks—from August 4 to 29—to submit their requirements and earn the right to be part of the draft proceedings on September 7.

After an impressive showing against Gilas Pilipinas, the Macau Black Bears are aiming to join the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) as a guest team.

Fresh from their competitive Gilas send-off game, the Black Bears have formally expressed interest in participating as a guest squad for one or two conferences in the PBA’s upcoming 50th season. 

In a letter to PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial, Black Bears president of basketball operations Lukas Peng emphasized their commitment to building a highly competitive, professionally managed team that will proudly represent Macau and its vibrant Filipino community, while expanding the PBA’s reach in Greater China and the broader Asia-Pacific region.

Commissioner Marcial responded positively, confirming that discussions will soon begin to explore the partnership. He also met with Black Bears general manager Kevin Connelly, who is responsible for team operations and is the brother of NBA Minnesota Timberwolves president Tim Connelly.

As part of their proposal, Peng requested special consideration for player eligibility, asking the PBA to allow players from China, Macau, Hong Kong, and Taiwan to register as locals under a "Greater China Rule." He also cited precedent from the Bay Area Dragons, who fielded players of documented Chinese heritage as locals, and inquired about the eligibility of Filipino and EASL-registered players to play as locals for the Black Bears.

While no formal agreement has been reached yet, the potential entry of the Macau Black Bears—a familiar name in the ASEAN Basketball League—could be a major step in the PBA’s push for greater international relevance. If approved, the Black Bears would follow the path of the Bay Area Dragons, who became the PBA’s first foreign guest team in nearly two decades and reached the 2022–23 Commissioner’s Cup finals.

As the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) celebrates its landmark 50th season starting on October 5, 2025, the league is preparing to take its brand of basketball to a wider audience. One of its key initiatives is to stage more games outside the country, giving overseas fans the chance to experience the excitement of the PBA firsthand.

In a board meeting held yesterday, July 30, the PBA board of governors approved the staging of official games in Dubai on October 25 and in Bahrain on December 15 and 17. These matches are expected to draw a large crowd of Filipino fans in the Middle East and showcase the league’s competitive action abroad.

The league isn’t stopping there. According to PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial, the PBA is already in the process of finalizing deals to bring games to Abu Dhabi, Doha (Qatar), Saudi Arabia, and even as far as New York. “We want to share the PBA experience with Filipinos and basketball fans around the world,” said Marcial.

The San Miguel Beermen are just one win away from reclaiming their throne atop the PBA, taking a commanding 3-1 lead over the TNT Tropang 5G in the Season 49 Philippine Cup Finals. San Miguel powered past TNT, 105-91, Sunday night at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

Jericho Cruz was the catalyst for the Beermen, exploding for 23 points—15 of them in the pivotal fourth quarter—sinking five triples. Conference Best Player June Mar Fajardo added a double-double of 15 points, 16 rebounds, plus three steals and two blocks.

“The biggest factor was Game 1. It fueled our grit—you could see in our players’ eyes that they want to win. We had a bad start, but the bench brought energy and aggression. This was also the first time we really shot well from deep, and that was key,” said head coach Leo Austria.

Cruz also reflected on the controversial Game 1 loss, which continues to motivate the team. “We thought we had that first game, but that’s behind us now. Boss Alfrancis Chua told me to just play my game and ignore the outside noise.”

CJ Perez chipped in 16 points, five assists, and three rebounds, Don Trollano contributed 11 points, six boards, and three assists, while Marcio Lassiter added 10 points for San Miguel.

The Beermen will aim to clinch the Best-of-7 series and dash TNT’s Grand Slam hopes on Wednesday, July 23, at the Araneta Coliseum.

The game remained tight at 73-72 with just over eight minutes left, but Cruz drilled a crucial three to extend San Miguel’s lead. Although RR Pogoy quickly answered, Cruz and Trollano took over, pushing the Beermen ahead 84-79. 

Fajardo and Perez then combined for back-to-back buckets, stretching the lead to nine. TNT’s Glenn Khobuntin managed an and-one to cut the deficit to six, but that was as close as TNT would get.

Jordan Heading paced TNT with 23 points and five assists, while Kelly Williams and Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser scored 14 apiece. RR Pogoy and Calvin Oftana added 11 each. 

However, nothing could stop San Miguel, as TNT dropped its third straight game after narrowly winning Game 1.

Rain or Shine Coach Yeng Guiao expressed confidence in the team's future, despite the disappointment of another semifinal exit.

“We couldn't close it out, we couldn't make the big plays when we needed them most.

But we still look at it as a positive development for the team. I think it adds to the experience and knowledge of our young players.”

He firmly believes that rather than a sweeping overhaul, the current roster simply requires targeted enhancements, particularly with the anticipated return of key players Beau Belga, Luis Villegas, and Felix Pangilinan-Lemetti from injury.

The final 10 players added to the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) 50 Greatest list were officially announced on Wednesday, April 2.

Nelson Asaytono, long expected to be part of earlier announcements for the Top 25 and Top 40 lists, has finally secured his place among the PBA’s greatest. He leads the latest batch of players included in this prestigious group.

Joining Asaytono in the final 10 are: Jeffrey Cariaso, Rene “Bong” Hawkins Jr., June Mar Fajardo, Abraham Columbus “Abe” King Jr., Daniel Charles “Danny” Seigle, Earl Scottie Thompson, Arnulfo “Arnie” Tuadles, Manuel “Manny” Victorino, and Elpidio “Yoyoy” Villamin.

The TNT Tropang Giga took a step closer to the PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup Finals after outlasting the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, 93-85, on Wednesday night, March 5, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Calvin Oftana spearheaded TNT’s attack, delivering a stellar 26-point performance along with three rebounds and four assists. RR Pogoy complemented his effort with an all-around showing, posting 22 markers, four boards, three dimes, a steal, and a block.

In the post-game interview, Oftana dedicated the win to veteran guard Jayson Castro, who has been ruled out for the season due to a knee injury.

“Malaking bagay na wala si Kuya Jayson. Itong remaining games namin, inoffer namin sa kanya,” said Oftana.

“Big factor si Kuya Jayson sa amin, pero hindi lang isang tao ang makakapuno sa kawalan niya. Kailangan namin magtulungan bilang isang team,” he added.

Rain or Shine came back strong from a tough Game 1 loss to win the next two and book a ticket to the semifinals for the third straight conference after dismantling Converge in Game 3 of their quarterfinals match-up of the PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup, 112-103, on Sunday night, February 9, at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.

The Elasto Painters reinforcement Deon Thompson made up for his early exit in their first QF encounter when he fouled out of the game just as early as the third quarter.

Last night, Thompson showed his might finishing with 34 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists. He was supported by Adrian Nocum who fired 25 markers. These two were also the reason why they won Game 2, when they combined for a total of 55.

RoS head coach Yeng Guiao said they were happy with the victory and their hard work paid off.

"We're very happy. The past two conferences we made the semifinals so it would be a pity if we did not make the semifinals this conference," Guiao shared.

"It's also a validation of all the hard work the guys put in, the togetherness and the camaraderie that they have," he added.

If Justin Brownlee were to ask, Kai Sotto has the capacity and potential to play in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

This was what Brownlee said after Gilas Pilipinas’ successful matches against New Zealand and Hong Kong last Thursday and Sunday night at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

According to the three-time PBA best import, Sotto's performance level in their past games proved that he is capable of competing in the type and class of play in the NBA.

Apart from that, Kai also has a big advantage in having a 7-foot-3 height, and besides this, he has the strong physique and skills of an NBA player.

“Man, I've been saying, I feel like he's good enough to play in the NBA. Yeah, in my honest opinion. Of course, he's got the height, he's got the size and the skill. But he's been through so much,”  Brownlee said. 

The six-time champion also said that Kai Sotto has great potential to be included in the NBA because of the qualities he has seen since he recently played with him. He also said that Kai will go far if he can play in the oldest professional basketball league in the world.

“For me, it's just great to see, you know, a young player like him with so much potential and just to see him start fulfilling his potential. He's got a long way to go. You know, he's only in his early 20s. So, I'm happy for his progression and I'm excited to see what the future holds for him,” Brownlee added. 

It can be recalled that Sotto recorded 12 points, 15 rebounds, two blocks and two assists in Gilas Pilipinas' previous match against Hong Kong, while last Thursday in their match against New Zealand, Sotto recorded 19 markers, 10 boards and seven dimes.

The wins of Gilas in window 2 gave them a solid hold of the lead in Group B with 4-0 win-loss record.

After sweeping the second window of the qualifiers, Gilas is now qualified for the FIBA ​​Asia Cup to be held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in August next year.

Meanwhile, Gilas will next face Chinese Taipei in the third window of the FIBA ​​Asia Cup Qualifiers on February 20 and Gilas against New Zealand again on February 23.