Tim Cone: Win over Jordan gave Gilas valuable experience before FIBA Asia Cup

Gilas Pilipinas’ final preparations for the upcoming 2025 FIBA Asia Cup ended in the best possible fashion after they defeated Jordan, 75–61, in their final tune-up game on Sunday, August 3 (Philippine Standard Time), at the Al Ahli Sports Club in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

The game was held behind closed doors, so very few details were provided by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP). However, Gilas went into halftime with a 40–29 lead and eventually cruised to victory on the back of crucial fourth-quarter three-pointers from Dwight Ramos, Calvin Oftana, Scottie Thompson, and Kevin Quiambao.

Notably, Oftana received some much-needed game time after missing their first tune-up game against the Macau Black Bears due to multiple knee injuries. Gilas have now won both of their tune-up games, and head coach Tim Cone believes the match against Jordan was beneficial, considering their opponents’ experience and high-level coaching.

Gilas Pilipinas Schedule for 2025 FIBA Asia Cup – https://t.co/QtziuPaYvh pic.twitter.com/Z9XsAUbL8c

— Gilas Pilipinas (@smartgilasph) August 3, 2025

It’s worth noting that Jordan are currently coached by former Canada men’s national basketball coach Roy Rana, who brings vast experience and is aiming to improve on their fourth-place finish from the 2022 FIBA Asia Cup in Jakarta, Indonesia.

“They came with a little bit of a young team. They were not as strong as we thought they would be, but they were coached by a super experienced coach. We weren’t concerned about the score as much as we were about the quality of play. We really had to rely on our individual skills and make plays, and we were able to do that in the second half,” Cone told the media after the game.

“We don’t have a lot of experience together playing against pressure defense or pressure zone or half-court zone. This was important for us to get through,” he added.

Cone and his men now have just 24 hours to practice and finalize tactics before opening their FIBA Asia Cup campaign against Chinese Taipei on Wednesday, August 6 (Philippine Standard Time). The Philippine men’s national team has been drawn into Group D, along with Chinese Taipei, New Zealand, and Iraq. They will face New Zealand on August 7, and complete the group stage against Iraq on August 9.

Each team will play the others once in a single round-robin format, with the top team earning a direct quarterfinal berth. The second- and third-ranked teams will compete in a crossover playoff. The quarterfinals, semifinals, third-place match, and final will all follow a single-game knockout format.

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