Gilas loses to New Zealand, drops to 0-2 in FIBA Asia Cup

Tonight, Gilas Pilipinas suffered another loss in the FIBA Asia Cup, dropping their record to 0-2 after losing to New Zealand, 94-86.

Despite trailing by as many as 18 points and running out of steam down the stretch, team captain Justin Brownlee scored a game-high 37 points while Dwight Ramos noted that the team was still shell-shocked despite knowing their opponents' tactics.

Coach Tim Cone emphasized the need for mental adjustments and improved defensive tactics against three-point shooting by opponents, urging the team to fight back and not sink after consecutive losses.

With just one game left against Iraq on Saturday at 4 p.m. Manila time, Gilas faces a must-win situation to have any chance of advancing to the quarterfinals; however, New Zealand secured an outright spot in the quarterfinals by defeating Chinese Taipei with a decisive 118-78 victory.

Winning against Iraq would put Gilas in contention for the playoff round where they could face either the second or third-ranked team from Group C depending on their standing within Group D.