New Zealand secures Group B top spot with convincing home win over Gilas Pilipinas
New Zealand delivered a commanding 87-70 win over Gilas Pilipinas, clinching the top seed in Group B of the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers.
The game, part of the third and final qualifying window, showcased New Zealand’s dominance and ended the Philippines’ hopes of finishing the campaign undefeated. Both teams had already secured their spots in the FIBA Asia Cup, set for August 2025 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, but this matchup determined group supremacy, with New Zealand emerging victorious to finish with a 5-1 record, while Gilas settled for second at 4-2.
The Tall Blacks set the tone early, leveraging their size, physicality, and sharpshooting to build an insurmountable lead. By halftime, they were up 53-33, having drained 10 of 19 three-pointers—a stark contrast to Gilas’ meager 2-of-11 from beyond the arc. Tohi Smith-Milner was the standout, finishing with 25 points and 9 rebounds, including five triples that kept the Filipino defense scrambling. Corey Webster added 14 points, and Reuben Te Rangi contributed 12 points and 9 rebounds, rounding out a balanced attack that capitalized on New Zealand’s home advantage and a vengeful spirit after their 93-89 loss to Gilas in November 2024.
For Gilas Pilipinas, the absence of Kai Sotto, who had been pivotal in that earlier win with a near triple-double, proved costly. Without their towering center, the Filipinos struggled to match New Zealand’s physicality in the paint and contain their perimeter barrage.
Chris Newsome led the team with 13 points, sparking a late rally in the fourth quarter that briefly cut the deficit. June Mar Fajardo added 11 points and five rebounds, while Justin Brownlee, coming off a 39-point explosion against Chinese Taipei, was limited to 10 points on efficient 5-of-8 shooting. However, the early hole was too deep, and New Zealand’s relentless pressure—marked by aggressive pick-and-rolls, precise free-throw shooting, and tenacious rebounding—sealed the deal.
This loss marked Gilas’ second straight defeat in the window, following a surprising 91-84 upset by Chinese Taipei three days prior. Despite the setbacks, the Philippines had already punched their ticket to Jeddah, thanks to a strong 4-0 start in earlier windows.
The Auckland game exposed vulnerabilities, particularly without Sotto, as New Zealand exploited their size advantage and clamped down on Brownlee, who couldn’t replicate his usual heroics. Coach Tim Cone’s squad fought valiantly, but the Tall Blacks’ depth and execution proved decisive.
