Courtesy: FIBA
Gilas Pilipinas kept the 2027 FIBA World Cup within reach after finishing the Asian Qualifiers fourth window in style with a 68-56 victory over Iran on Sunday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
The Philippines shrugged off another slow start, with Juan Gomez De Liaño and Dwight Ramos catching fire in the second half to finish with 16 points each and help the Filipinos beat the Iranians in a FIBA-level tournament for the first time in 11 years or since the second round of the 2015 FIBA Asia Championship.
Kai Sotto had 13 points and 15 rebounds plus three steals while AJ Edu chipped in eight points and three blocks as both big men made their presence felt in the shaded lane against the much taller Iran team.
The essential win also served as a perfect follow-up to Gilas’ quarterfinal conquest of Iran in the Asian Games three years ago.
De Liaño hit a booming trey and a fearless floater that delivered the Philippines to a 47-40 lead in the third before Ramos and Edu made consecutive drives to the basket to make it 68-56 in the final 45 seconds for the ice cream on the cake.
June Mar Fajardo dropped all his six points in the second period to conclude his 13-year Gilas stint victorious, combining 15 points with Ramos to turn a 7-18 first quarter deficit into a 36-34 advantage at the half.
Mobin Sheikhi made five three-pointers to wind up as Iran’s lone double-digit scorer with 21 markers.
The Philippines, however, remains outside Pool E’s top four qualifying spots for next year’s global basketball showcase, even with a home sweep.
But sitting at no. 4 with a 4-4 record, Gilas made a much stronger case, lurking behind its victims Iran and Jordan, which are now tied with 5-3 slates following back-to-back losses on the road.
The nationals will carry this momentum into the fifth and penultimate window of the World Cup qualifiers, facing Syria on November 27 before clashing with Iran once again on the 30th.
Meanwhile, Australia stayed atop the group with an immaculate 8-0 record following demolitions of Syria (123-64) and Jordan (126-93).
New Zealand, on the other hand, grabbed the solo No. 2 spot with a 6-2 mark after outlasting Iran (93-91) in overtime and devastating Syria (126-74).
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