Dennis Gaviola

2025 FIBA Asia Cup-bound Gilas Pilipinas. Photos from FIBA Basketball.

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2025 FIBA Asia Cup-bound Gilas Pilipinas

Romwel Anzures

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17543128831501754312882136.jpeg" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Gilas Pilipinas Final 12 for the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup. Photos from FIBA Basketball"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Gilas Pilipinas Final 12 for the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup. <em>Photos from FIBA Basketball.</em></span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>MANILA — Gilas Pilipinas is looking to defy the odds anew, this time in the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.</p><p>Mentored by Tim Cone, the Nationals are hoping to win their first gold in the continental meet since 1985 wherein the NCC Team ruled the erstwhile Asian Basketball Confederation (ABC) Championship for Men all thanks to the likes of Allan Caidic, Samboy Lim, Hector Calma, Jerry Codiñera.</p><p>“Our goal is to win a gold medal,” emphasized the Barangay Ginebra coach, who has brought the Philippines to new heights since his return as Gilas’ head figure. “That’s our goal, we’re gonna go out there to win a gold medal. Will we? I’m not sure, but that&#x27;s certainly our goal.</p><p>Since late 2023, Gilas has won its first Asian Games championship in over six decades, defeated the likes of New Zealand and Latvia, and took Georgia and Brazil to the limit, all under Cone’s tutelage.</p><p>But while the Nationals are in a good spot to bank on these en route to another possible history-making campaign, Cone emphasized that the formula to success will start from an old basketball cliche: “One game at a time.”</p><p>“Our goal is certainly to win a gold medal, but we’re not gonna look that far away,” he said. “Our goal is there, but our focus is what’s right in front of us. What we’re focused on is every day, and the first game that we’ll play.”</p><p>“You know the saying, we’re taking it one game at a time. That’s always said because it’s always true,” the American mentor added.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>Chance for redemption</strong></div><p>The last Asia Cup campaign of the Philippines was lackluster, to say the least.</p><p>In 2022, the then Chot Reyes-coached squad missed the quarterfinals — a first since 2007 — and finished only as ninth-placers despite having the likes of Kiefer and Thirdy Ravena, Ray Parks Jr., Rhenz Abando, and SJ Belangel.</p><p>This was a far cry from Reyes’ squads that went as far as winning silver in the 2013 and 2015 editions, and even his 2017 team that finished as No.7 with an overall 4-2 record.</p><p>However, while the Nationals are in a prime position to succeed in this year’s Asia Cup, Coach Tim emphasized that there is no room for complacency: “We still gotta be able to execute a little bit better.”</p><div>Gilas — while defeating the Macau Black Bears and Jordan in friendlies ahead of their Jeddah trip — previously lost to New Zealand, 87-70, and Chinese Taipei, 91-84, in the last window of the Asia Cup Qualifiers earlier this year.<br/><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/175430616666820240624-gilas-pilipinas-send-off-game-JC-3882.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Gilas Pilipinas head coach Tim Cone. File photo from Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News."/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Gilas Pilipinas head coach Tim Cone. <em>File photo from Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News.</em></span></span></span>The Philippines will have the chance to bounce back from the said losses when they revisit matchups with the Tall Blacks and Taiwan in the Group Stage, but Cone understands that it is easier said than done.</div><p>“If I tell you, I had to kill you,” quipped Cone, when asked about their approach to their group assignments that also include Iraq.</p><p>“Taiwan beat us the last time we faced them, and they added two young [NCAA] Division I players and those guys are making an impact on that team,” he pointed out, talking about brothers, Robert and Adam Hinton. “They have the personnel. It wasn’t a fluke, that they beat us, so we have to be really prepared.”</p><p>“Obviously, New Zealand is always gonna be tough no matter what team they send. Iraq, we don’t know a lot about Iraq yet, but we’re finding it out as we go along,” he furthered. <strong></strong></p><div><br/></div><div><strong>Kaiju out</strong></div><p>What has been a huge factor -- literally and figuratively -- in Cone&#x27;s success with Gilas Pilipinas is having Kai Sotto to impose his presence on both ends of the floor.</p><p>Unfortunately, Sotto — who averaged 15.5 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 3.8 assists in the qualifiers — is still in the middle of his recovery after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear last January, and will be missing the Philippines&#x27; campaign.</p><p>Still, Cone is upbeat about their chances, as filling in the hole that Sotto is leaving are AJ Edu, June Mar Fajardo, and Japeth Aguilar.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/basketball/2025/7/30/fiba-calvin-oftana-to-fight-through-injuries-as-gilas-leaves-for-saudi-arabia-2318"><strong>READ: Gilas Pilipinas Final 12 for 2025 FIBA Asia Cup</strong></a><strong></strong></div><p>“With Kai out, it poses a lot more problems for us,” he said. “But, I still feel that we can be a really great team without him at this point. Certainly love to have him, though.”</p><p>Despite the number of stakes and factors that Gilas is and will be facing, however, Cone doubled down on his previous stance of taking each assignment at a time.</p><p>“Right now, our minds are against Taiwan,” he said. “We have a battle on hand, so we’re gonna be ready. “</p><p>The Philippines will open their group stage campaign on Wednesday, August 6, 2:00 a.m.*, against Taipei.</p><p>Their much-anticipated rematch vs. New Zealand is on Thursday, August 7, at 11:00 p.m.*, while their group assignments will conclude on Saturday, August 9, at 4:00 p.m.*</p><div>*Manila time. <strong></strong><br/><strong></strong><br/><strong>RELATED VIDEO: <br/></strong><br/><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/L5E0MPo5XYk?autoplay=1&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></div>

<p>Gilas Pilipinas is looking to defy the odds anew, this time in the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. </p>

Gilas Pilipinas is looking to defy the odds anew, this time in the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Mission Gold: Gilas Pilipinas out to defy odds anew in 2025 FIBA Asia Cup

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Mission Gold: Gilas Pilipinas out to defy odds anew in 2025 FIBA Asia Cup

Rom Anzures,

ABS-CBN News

Published August 04, 2025 07:57 PM PHT

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Updated August 04, 2025 09:09 PM PHT

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