Tim Cone admits Gilas getting outclassed by ‘very superior’ Aussies

**Simply Superior.**

Gilas Pilipinas head coach Tim Cone acknowledged the undeniable strength and speed of Australia, as the Philippines faced elimination from the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup.

Gilas was ousted from the regional tournament after suffering a decisive 84-60 defeat against the Boomers on Wednesday evening (Manila time).

Australia opened the game with scorching precision from beyond the arc, quickly burying the Philippines in an insurmountable deficit.

The Nationals struggled offensively, shooting only 22-of-69 for a mere 31.9%, while their Australian counterparts converted 32-of-75 attempts, equating to 42.7%.

In addition to their shooting prowess, Australia dominated the boards, securing 57 rebounds—including 19 offensive—compared to Gilas’ total of 36 rebounds.

Following the game, Cone expressed his thoughts, stating that Australia was “simply very superior.”

“I was not pleased with our performance tonight. We did not rise to the occasion as much as we needed to. There’s no denying the athleticism and size of the Australians… Even though you can see it on video, once you’re on the court, you truly grasp just how superior they are,” he remarked during the postgame press conference.

“We struggled to stay in front of them and found it challenging to contest their three-point shots. Their ball movement was exceptional, and they got their shots off quickly. We aimed to slow the game down, but we lacked the discipline to maintain that pace throughout,” he elaborated.

Naturalized player Justin Brownlee faced scrutiny, managing only 10 points on 3-of-7 shooting. He contributed four assists and three rebounds but recorded a team-worst plus-minus of -23.

“Australia came at us hard. They defended exceptionally well and showcased remarkable athleticism. They were quick to react. Even when we managed to break through a defender, they were quick to collapse and block our shots,” Cone explained.

“We weren’t effectively getting the ball inside. Instead, we relied on perimeter shooting, which is rarely a successful strategy. If you depend solely on your outside shooting, you’re at the mercy of your accuracy. Today, unfortunately, we weren’t hitting those shots,” he noted.

In the game, Gilas converted just eight of their 33 attempts from three-point range.

Alongside Brownlee, Dwight Ramos struggled as well. Though he finished with 15 points and seven rebounds, he shot a disappointing 7-of-22 from the field.

The only other Gilas player to reach double digits was Kevin Quiambao, who led the team with 17 points, complemented by four rebounds and four assists. He achieved an impressive 6-of-10 shooting performance, standing out as the only other Filipino player to make over half of his shot attempts, aside from Scottie Thompson, who ended with five points on a 2-of-4 shooting display.

Quiambao highlighted the team’s difficulties in recovering from Australia’s explosive start.

With this victory, Australia secured their place in the tournament semifinals, where they will take on Iran.

In another matchup on Wednesday, Iran mounted a thrilling comeback from a 21-point deficit against Chinese Taipei, ultimately clinching a semifinal berth with a 78-75 victory.