Gilas Pilipinas has lost more than a handful of games in the last decade, but few may be able to top the pain that comes from this defeat at the hands of Chinese Taipei. 

The Philippines already saw the foul calls going the other way early in the first quarter, and whether or not those calls were warranted, Gilas should’ve made adjustments. Unfortunately, Chinese Taipei took advantage of some hot shooting to build a cushion Gilas Pilipinas could not overcome in their 2025 FIBA Asia Cup opener. 

Credit must be given to Chinese Taipei for their hot shooting against the Philippines, and Gilas head coach Tim Cone did make adjustments by utilizing Scottie Thompson, Carl Tamayo, and Kevin Quiambao to provide a spark in the hopes of igniting a Gilas Pilipinas comeback. However, the Philippines allowed it to go on for so long even when it was obvious that they needed to put more pressure. 

Gilas will clearly have their work cut out for them against New Zealand and Iraq. A win over Chinese Taipei would have made a victory over either New Zealand or Iraq all they needed to advance to the knockout stages. Now they have to rely on circumstances beyond their control, only because they couldn’t handle business. 

But there are still some areas Gilas Pilipinas can manage, and that starts with what worked for them against Chinese Taipei. The Philippines looked like a deer in the headlights when Brownlee left due to his four fouls in the third quarter, but Brownlee’s absence allowed Thompson and Dwight Ramos to find their footing and when Brownlee fouled out with 4:31 left in the game, they still had a fighting chance. 

Also key to that last-ditch effort was Quiambao. 

It was obvious the former DLSU Green Archer was laying it all on the line and converting his gigil into VERY productive minutes. He was active on both ends of the floor and while he was frustrated with missed loose balls and shots, it was clear he wanted to help the team in any way, shape, or form. Going forward, Quiambao has earned more playing time whether that means coming off the bench or as a starter. He’s clearly made strides since moving to the KBL and at 24, he still has room to grow. 

Meanwhile, Thompson may need to start or come into the game earlier in order to keep the Gilas’ offense stable. 

Thompson may not be as tall nor as athletic as some of his Gilas Pilipinas teammates, but he nonetheless outworked his opponents on 50-50 balls and was not a liability on defense. He was making a concerted effort to keep the ball moving and that development helped the offense of his peers. 

Part of it is because the 2021 PBA MVP has fresher legs compared to his peers who just went through the grind of the 2025 Honda PBA Philippine Cup Finals was evident as Calvin Oftana was turning into Cardio Oftana with the way he was chucking up shots. June Mar Fajardo was sending players to the floor and not the way we’re used to seeing, while CJ Perez was unable to find the spaces he normally gets to. 

By the time this piece goes into press, though, Gilas Pilipinas head coach Tim Cone may have already thought of his adjustments for the Philippines’ next two games. There’s certainly more pressure on his shoulders as an early exit could spell doom for his program. But in his many years as a head coach, he’s not fazed by one loss and it’s on him to prove that with how he and Gilas will respond in the coming days. 

And history has shown that he will not go down without a fight.