“You’ve got to have courage”: Justin Brownlee on delivering for Gilas in clutch moments

Gilas Pilipinas secured a spot in the quarterfinals of the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup after a 95–88 overtime win against hosts Saudi Arabia at the King Abdullah Sports City Arena in Jeddah, in the early hours of Tuesday, August 12 (Philippine Standard Time).

The win was powered by star naturalized player Justin Brownlee, who once again delivered in the clutch. Brownlee finished with a team-high 29 points on 3-of-5 shooting from beyond the arc, along with five rebounds. The 37-year-old also buried a clutch three-pointer to tie the game at 79-all in regulation, sending it into overtime.

Speaking to the media after the game, Brownlee shared his mindset during pressure situations and expressed how much he embraces moments like these.

NEVER SAY DIE 🇵🇭🇵🇭🇵🇭

UNBELIEVABLE. UNBELIEVABLE GAME-END 🤯 Justin Brownlee keeps Gilas alive and they march onto the Quarter-Finals with an OT win 🔥#AsiaCup pic.twitter.com/uaj1JsSHLf

— FIBA Basketball (@FIBA) August 11, 2025

“I think these are the moments every player dreams of — when the game is tight, going down to the wire, and the atmosphere is as intense as it was here in Saudi Arabia today. I can’t really say it’s clutch genes or something I developed. I just think when you see the opportunity as a player, you just have to go after it,” Brownlee said.

Brownlee has been central to several historic Gilas moments, including their gold medal run at the 19th Asian Games in 2023, where he played a decisive role in ending the country’s 61-year gold medal drought.

“It doesn’t always work in your favor. You can’t make every shot or capitalize on every moment, but you just have to have courage and take those chances. I’m just very blessed to have the opportunity to hit those shots. I’ve got to thank my teammates — they have so much confidence in me. They inspire me to take and make those shots,” he added.

Born in Tifton, Georgia, Brownlee is widely regarded as the greatest import in Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) history, having led Barangay Ginebra San Miguel to six PBA championships and earning Best Import honors three times.

He became eligible to play for the Philippine national basketball team as a naturalized player after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed the measure into law on January 12, 2023. Since then, he has been a godsend for Gilas, leading the team to gold in both the 2022 Asian Games and the 2023 Southeast Asian Games.

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