Gilas Pilipinas climbed out of an 18-point hole and stole an 82-81 overtime thriller from Jordan, snapping a four-game losing skid and breathing life into its 2027 FIBA World Cup qualifying bid. The win on Friday night at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City moved the Philippines to 3-4, good for No. 5 in Group E, with two must-win games left in the window.
A comeback built on the boards
The Nationals looked dead early, falling behind 28-14 after the first quarter. But they chipped away all night on the offensive glass, pulling down 22 offensive rebounds and 56 total, then outscored Jordan 18-14 in the fourth to force the extra period. They won the overtime 10-9.
Endgame heroics
CJ Perez took over down the stretch to push the game to overtime, then dished to Kevin Quiambao for the go-ahead triple that made it 82-79 with 11.7 seconds left. Jordan’s Freddy Ibrahim sank two free throws to pull within one, and a Gilas inbound violation gave the Falcons a final chance. Up stepped the returning Kai Sotto, who swatted Abdullah Olajuwon’s layup to preserve the win.
Who stepped up
| Player | Points | Other line |
|---|---|---|
| Kai Sotto | 18 | 14 rebounds, 2 blocks, 2 assists |
| CJ Perez | 16 | 14 points came in the 4th and OT |
| Kevin Quiambao | 14 | Go-ahead triple |
| Dwight Ramos | 14 | – |
| AJ Edu | 9 | 10 rebounds off the bench |
Ibrahim led all scorers with 22 for Jordan, while former NBA guard Jalen Harris was held to 19 on a 6-of-22 clip after cramping out late. Carl Tamayo chipped in eight before leaving with an ankle injury in the third quarter.
Next up: Iran
“We keep fighting for the World Cup. We know how important it is for the players and the country,” head coach Tim Cone said after the win. Gilas faces Iran on Sunday, August 30, in Manila. Iran dropped an overtime heartbreaker of its own, falling 93-91 to New Zealand. The top three teams in each group, plus the best fourth-placed side, book tickets to Qatar.
Read our preview of this Gilas window for how the Philippines got here without Justin Brownlee.
