Gilas Pilipinas Settles for 7th in FIBA Asia Cup 2025, Four-Decade Title Wait Continues

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by Lou Reyes

Gilas Pilipinas finished seventh in the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup. Photo: FIBA.

Gilas Pilipinas wrapped up its campaign in the 31st FIBA Asia Cup with a seventh-place finish, extending the nation’s 40-year drought in the continental championship.

The national squad closed with a 2-3 win-loss card in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, bowing out after an 84-60 defeat to powerhouse and two-consecutive defending champion Australia in the quarterfinals. Despite the early exit, the result was still an improvement from their ninth-place finish in 2022, when they failed to even reach the knockout round.

The Philippines has not lifted the Asia Cup crown since 1985, when the Northern Consolidated-backed national team last brought home the championship. Their most recent podium finish came a decade ago in 2015, settling for silver after falling to host China in the title game.

This year’s tournament once again highlighted the gap between Gilas and Asia’s elite programs. Australia continued its dominance by hammering Iran in the semifinals, 92-48, while China advanced past New Zealand, 98-84, to arrange a marquee finals showdown.

(From left to right) Kevin Quiambao, Dwight Ramos, and Justin Brownlee during their quarterfinal win over Saudi Arabia. Photo: FIBA.

Meanwhile, Chinese Taipei emerged as one of the surprises of the tournament. After stunning Gilas in the opener, they went on to secure fifth place — their best showing in 12 years. South Korea, for its part, matched its sixth-place result from 2022.

The Philippines ended just above Lebanon, which collapsed against New Zealand in a classification game, blowing a 22-point lead and settling for eighth. The Cedars had been runners-up to Australia in 2022 but couldn’t replicate that success this time.

Tournament standings were finalized using point differentials from the group stage. Gilas edged Lebanon in that metric, posting a -7 compared to the Cedars’ -20, which secured the seventh spot despite identical records.

Further down the order, Japan and Saudi Arabia both tallied 2-2 slates but Japan’s superior differential gave them ninth place. Jordan and debutant Guam followed, with Guam notching a historic first-ever Asia Cup win over Syria. Qatar, Iraq, India, and Syria rounded out the bottom four.

For the Philippines, the result underscores both progress and the persistent challenge of breaking through Asia’s top tier. With the next cycle already looming, Gilas will once again look to rebuild, regroup, and chase the elusive continental title that has slipped away for four decades.