Tim Cone blames Gilas’ slow start for loss to Chinese Taipei in FIBA Asia Cup opener

Gilas Pilipinas started their 2025 FIBA Asia Cup campaign in the worst possible fashion, losing 95–87 to Chinese Taipei at the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday, August 6.

The defeat marked a stinging milestone for the Philippines, who have now suffered back-to-back losses to Chinese Taipei in FIBA play — a first in over ten years — with the previous one coming in a 91–84 loss during the Asia Cup Qualifiers on February 20.

Gilas head coach Tim Cone lamented his team’s slow and poor start, which he felt ultimately led to their defeat.

‘THIS TEAM HAS SHOWN A LOT OF BOUNCE BACK IN THE PAST’

Gilas Pilipinas coach Tim Cone remains hopeful for their upcoming games in the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup despite their 95-87 upset to Chinese-Taipei on Wednesday.

Although the team is off to a rough start, Cone still believes that… pic.twitter.com/LQtdequWrg

— The Philippine Star (@PhilippineStar) August 6, 2025

“Obviously, we didn’t play a very good one. [I’m] disappointed with the way we played. We got behind early in the game and just played on our heels the whole way — like we were in panic mode for 40 minutes. We’re really hurt by the loss, but we’ll see what we can do. We have to see if we can come back from this and move forward. That’s the only thing we can do at this point,” Cone said in the post-match press conference.

While Cone is hoping that Gilas will bounce back, they face a major challenge in their second game against World No. 22 New Zealand, scheduled for Thursday, August 7. The Tall Blacks, arguably the Philippines’ toughest opponent in the group, cruised past Iraq 100–78 in their opening game of the competition.

The American tactician acknowledges that New Zealand will be a stern test but knows that Gilas must beat them to keep their tournament hopes alive.

“This may be a big roadblock for us right here, but it’s something that we have to overcome. If we have to come through the loser’s bracket, then we’ll try to do that. We can feel bad about this one as much as we want. We can cry about it even. But bottom line is, we’ve got New Zealand coming up, and we’ve got to get ready for them,” he added.

Gilas recorded a historic 92–88 win over New Zealand in the second window of the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers in November 2024 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City. However, the Tall Blacks got their revenge in the third and final window in February this year, defeating Gilas 87–70 in Auckland.

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