Gilas’ Tim Cone, Saudi’s Ricard Casas sound off ahead of high-stakes 2025 FIBA Asia Cup clash

Fresh off a 66-57 win over Iraq in their final group-stage match, Gilas Pilipinas now faces one more hurdle to reach the quarterfinals — a do-or-die clash against host Saudi Arabia at the King Abdullah Sports City on Tuesday, 12 a.m. (PH time).

With a place in the Last 8 at stake, Gilas enters the matchup with a determined mindset. Head coach Tim Cone emphasized, “What I like about our team is that we just don’t quit. Back home, we call it the never-say-die attitude.”

Finishing third in Group D with a 1-2 record, the Philippines moved on to the Qualification to the Quarterfinals stage to face Saudi Arabia, which secured second place in Group C at 2-1.

“We have that. I think that’s very evident on this team and we hope that will be the one that’ll get us forward,” Cone added.

The knockout game is scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday local time (12 a.m. Tuesday in Manila). The winner will earn the right to challenge the Group A leader — expected to be three-time defending champion Australia, who remained unbeaten at 2-0 as of press time.

GAMEDAY. 🇵🇭

Do-or-die. Gilas Pilipinas vs Saudi Arabia.
12:00 AM (PH time) — for flag, for pride, for country.#GilasPilipinas #FIBAAsiaCup2025 #BuiltOnBelief #DeliverTheDream pic.twitter.com/EBCB4uhNS3

— Barangay Ginebra San Miguel (@brgyginebraphl) August 10, 2025

Cone hopes his squad can sustain the same approach that worked against Iraq, especially their defensive focus. “I really believe this is the kind of game we kind of envisioned we would play, where it’s a little bit more low-scoring. We’re battling for every possession. Every basket is crucial and I thought that’s what we did (against Iraq) and that’s what we’re going to expect from ourselves going forward.”

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia head coach Ricard Casas is preparing for what he expects to be a grueling encounter with the Philippines.

The hosts will meet Gilas Pilipinas in the qualification round early Tuesday, and Casas acknowledged the challenge ahead.

 “We need more. We have our next match, it’s not [gonna be] easy, it’s very difficult. But everyday is difficult so we’ll give our best,” he said after their 84-59 victory over India last Saturday.

“Of course it’s very important in these next hours to prepare for the game because we’ll play against a good team, the Philippines,” Casas added.

OKBET is Asia’s most trusted and popular online sports gaming platform. Visit us on OKBET to stay up to date with all sports news from around the world.