Tim Cone admits Australia was ‘vastly superior’ after Gilas’ FIBA Asia Cup quarterfinal exit

The Philippine men’s national basketball team’s campaign at the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup ended in disappointment after suffering a heavy 84-60 quarterfinal loss to Australia at the King Abdullah Sports City Arena.

Gilas Pilipinas struggled throughout the contest, shooting just 31% from the field, including 8-of-33 from beyond the arc. The Aussies also dominated the rebounding battle, pulling down 57 boards to the Philippines’ 36, showcasing their size and physicality on both ends of the court.

Speaking in the post-match press conference, Gilas head coach Tim Cone admitted that his squad was simply outplayed by a superior Australian side.

“The tournament is over for us, and in the big scheme of things, we are not pleased with what happened. This is a great team to be around, and I’m proud and honored to coach these guys. But tonight was not a good performance for us,” Cone said.

Australia’s suffocating defense limited naturalized star Justin Brownlee to just 10 points on seven shot attempts. With Brownlee struggling to find his rhythm, the rest of the team failed to provide the needed support, resulting in one of Gilas’ lowest-scoring performances in recent memory.

MIXED EMOTIONS FOR CTC.

Head coach Tim Cone reflects on Gilas Pilipinas’ quarterfinal loss to world no. 7 Australia in the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup, saying the team was a joy to coach despite not reaching the semifinals.#GilasPilipinas #AsiaCup pic.twitter.com/O6favkQBlq

— One Sports (@OneSportsPHL) August 13, 2025

“I didn’t think we stepped up as much as we wanted to. No doubt the Australians’ athleticism and length were a factor. Even though you see it on video, it’s different when you’re actually out there playing against them — they are very superior.

We had a hard time staying in front of them, challenging their threes. They moved the ball really well and got shots off quickly. We tried to slow down the tempo, but we didn’t have the discipline to maintain it throughout. And they did a good job defending Justin, limiting him to just seven shots,” Cone concluded.

With the loss, the Philippines failed to reach the FIBA Asia Cup semifinals for the third consecutive edition, following earlier exits in 2017 and 2022. This comes after the country’s back-to-back silver medal finishes in 2013 (Manila) and 2015 (Changsha, China).

Despite the setback, Cone emphasized that the focus now shifts to the 2027 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers, which kick off in November. The Philippines has been drawn into Group A, alongside basketball powerhouses Australia, New Zealand, and emerging contender Guam.

With a tough road ahead, Gilas Pilipinas will aim to regroup, rebuild, and make a stronger impression as they work toward qualifying for the next global stage.

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