Tim Cone expresses relief as Gilas advances to the next round despite setback

Advancement is secured, but comfort is nowhere to be found for Gilas Pilipinas. After suffering a 93-66 defeat to world Australia at the Mall of Asia Arena, a loss that capped a winless second window.

The Philippines remained safely through to the next phase of the FIBA World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers.

Gilas’ early surge against the Boomers briefly ignited the home crowd, signaling belief against one of the powerhouses. But as the game went on, Australia’s depth and discipline took control, handing the Philippines a second straight defeat and leaving them at 2-2 in Group A.

A sweep of Guam in the first window last year built enough cushion to guarantee progression. The losses to Australia and New Zealand dented momentum.

“We’re not going to lose our berth in losing to New Zealand and Australia,” Gilas coach Tim Cone said.

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“It was a very painful second half.” Tim Cone lamented how momentum slipped away as Gilas Pilipinas faltered against the world No. 6 Australia Boomers, saying turnovers and open threes deflated the team in front of their home crowd. l Via Zeus Valdez pic.twitter.com/vk7FR1nFsJ

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The numbers back him up. Australia tops Group A at 4-0 and has already sealed its place in the next round. The Philippines and New Zealand are tied for second, while Guam sits winless at 0-4. With only the third and final window remaining in July, advancement is no longer the question.

Unlike most tournaments where teams reset in the next stage, this format carries over results against fellow qualifiers. That technical detail transforms past losses into future pressure.

“But these games are carry over. They’re still very, very important. We carry over with a bad record, it’s going to be much tougher for us. There should be no margin for error (in the second round).” Cone later pointed out.

That margin may define the Philippines’ World Cup fate. A weaker carry-over record could force Gilas into near-perfection mode in the second round.

Where Group A teams are expected to be bracketed into Group E alongside Middle Eastern contenders such as Jordan, Iran, and Syria. A strong foundation now could mean breathing room later.

“So we need to at least get one win from the four games we played against Australia and New Zealand so that we can have a bigger margin for error,” said Cone. “If we don’t, we may have to do something like sweep the second round against the Middle Eastern teams.”

For Gilas, advancement is secured — but advantage is not, and in a qualification campaign where every result lingers, the next window won’t just be about survival. It will be about shaping the road ahead.

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