Tim Cone urges Gilas to toughen up mentally after back-to-back FIBA Asia Cup losses

Gilas Pilipinas’ poor form in the ongoing 2025 FIBA Asia Cup continued on Friday, August 8 (Philippine Standard Time), as they suffered an 86–94 loss to New Zealand in their second Group D game at the King Abdullah Sports City Arena in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

This marked Gilas’ second consecutive defeat in the tournament, following their 87–95 loss to Chinese Taipei in the opener on Wednesday, August 6. As in that game, Gilas fell behind early and, despite a spirited second-half comeback, ultimately came up short.

A key issue for Gilas has been their inability to defend the perimeter. Their opponents have combined to hit a staggering 25 three-pointers on 57 attempts — a 43.8 percent clip from beyond the arc.

Gilas head coach Tim Cone acknowledged this as a serious concern that needs to be addressed immediately.

“We have to solve that,” Cone said after the game. “Chinese Taipei shot very well from three the other night, and tonight New Zealand shot very well from three. That’s something we have to get better at heading into our next game and throughout the tournament.”

“We are disappointed that we’ve lost two in a row” – Gilas Pilipinas coach Tim Cone after defeat vs New Zealand | @spinph

🎥: FIBA Media, YouTube pic.twitter.com/qw5krnIf1d

— Reuben Terrado (@reubensports) August 7, 2025

Offensively, Gilas has also struggled from deep. They currently rank ninth among the 16 teams in three-point shooting, converting just 17 of 56 attempts for a 30.4 percent rate.

“It just seems to be the way the game has been going for us lately,” Cone added. “But hopefully we can turn that around. To me, it’s more about mental adjustments than anything else. It’s all going to be mental — getting loose balls, securing rebounds, and not allowing extra possessions that lead to open threes.”

Despite back-to-back losses, all is not lost for Cone and his squad. Gilas can still qualify for the knockout rounds with a win over Iraq in their final Group D game. A victory would secure third place in the group and a crossover playoff spot against the second-placed team from Group C in the quarterfinals.

“We just need to keep battling, keep our heads up, and not let these last two losses define us,” Cone said. “There’s still more to do, and we’ll be ready for our next game.”

Gilas’ do-or-die matchup against Iraq is scheduled for Saturday, August 9, at the King Abdullah Sports City Arena in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

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