MANILA (Philippines) - Gilas Pilipinas' ambitious quest to reach the Olympic men's basketball tournament for the first time since 1972 ended with a 71-60 loss to Brazil in the Semi-Finals of the Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in Riga, Latvia last weekend. Despite the setback, the team departs with their heads held high, having exceeded expectations.
Gilas stunned the basketball world by opening their campaign with an 89-80 upset over world No. 6 Latvia, marking their first victory over European opposition in 64 years. Although subsequent defeats to Georgia and Brazil followed, the team demonstrated they could compete at the highest level. That's a significant improvement from their rather disappointing performance at last year's World Cup.
Philippines head coach Tim Cone, while acknowledging the achievement, urged his team not to be complacent.
"We didn't expect to be here, but once we were, we expected to win - Tim Cone
The head coach added: "It's an incredible disappointment for us. We're not going to jump up and down and say 'yay, we did our thing and everybody was proud of us'. Hopefully, that doesn't get into our mindset. We need to keep pushing at getting better."
Following last year's World Cup results, the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) entrusted Cone with the Gilas Pilipinas program. He emphasized the need for a smaller, consistent pool of players to foster familiarity and cohesion. This strategy bore fruit when Gilas clinched the Asian Games gold medal last October, and Cone has largely retained the same roster.
"The whole part of this particular program is to keep these guys together over the next three to four years - Coach Cone
"It's hard to talk about this right after you lose, but it's a growth experience for us. Now we know we can compete. How can we get that next step to not just compete, but win?" Cone explained.
Gilas' journey in the OQT began with a historic win over Latvia, followed by a hard-fought comeback against world No. 23 Georgia, narrowly losing 96-94 but securing a place in the Semi-Finals. Despite a strong start against 12th-ranked Brazil, leading 22-12 after the first quarter, the physical South American squad ultimately turned the tide.
Cone highlighted the need for continuity and growth as the team prepares for future competitions, including the 2027 World Cup in Qatar and the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
"Keeping this group together is crucial as we look ahead to the next World Cup and beyond."
Gilas will return to action in November for the second window of the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers, facing New Zealand and Hong Kong.
FIBA