Gilas Pilipinas Stays in the Fight, Advances to FIBA Asia Cup Knockout Phase with Gritty 66-57 Win Over Iraq
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| Dwight Ramos (24) led Gilas Pilipinas with 21 points in the win over Iraq. Photo: FIBA. |
After struggling in their first two outings, the Nationals found their groove in the second half, delivering a decisive 22-7 third-quarter run that turned a tight contest into a comfortable cushion. The victory allowed Gilas to close the group stage with a 1-2 record and secure third place in Group D, enough to advance to the qualification phase for the quarterfinals.
GILAS EARNS FIRST WIN! 🇵ðŸ‡
— Sports Buzzer PH (@sportsbuzzerph) August 9, 2025
FINAL: Dwight Ramos leads Gilas to a 66-57 win over Iraq in Group D action.
The Philippines will move on to the quarterfinals qualifier against Group C’s second best team.#GilasPilipinas #LabanPilipinas #FIBA #AsiaCup2025 pic.twitter.com/b4K4SrgF21
Dwight Ramos stepped up as the offensive anchor, tallying 21 points and helping Gilas overcome the rare off-night of naturalized star Justin Brownlee, who managed just 8 points. The team also had to weather Iraq’s hot shooting from beyond the arc in the first half, as the opposition drained six of their 13 three-point attempts to stay in the fight early.
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| Gilas Pilipinas' Justin Brownlee (32) struggled throughout the game with just 4 points. Photo: FIBA. |
Gilas’ energy and defensive pressure, however, proved too much after halftime. With the paint locked down and Iraq’s shooters cooling off, the Filipinos took control and never looked back. The bench also provided crucial minutes to keep the starters fresh, while the locals worked hard to win the rebounding battle and control the tempo in the closing stages.
HERE COMES ST. DWIGHT 💥
— One Sports (@OneSportsPHL) August 9, 2025
Gilas Pilipinas' Dwight Ramos gets his groove in the third quarter, sinking back-to-back three-pointers to push their lead against Iraq in the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup!#GilasPilipinas #AsiaCup pic.twitter.com/9jgpvyVjR4
The win means Gilas will move on to face the second-placed team from Group C — a spot still being contested between Saudi Arabia and Jordan at press time.
It wasn’t the smoothest path to the knockout rounds, but for a team fighting to stay alive, this win was exactly the boost Gilas Pilipinas needed heading into the next stage of the competition.
The Scores:
Gilas Pilipinas (66): Ramos 21, Edu 9, Brownlee 8, Fajardo 6, Tamayo 6, Newsome 4, Quiambao 4, Oftana 3, Perez 3, Aguilar 2, Thompson 0.
Iraq (57): Hammoodi 13, Israel 13, Mayfield 12, Al-Zuhairi 8, Abdullah 5, Al-Khafaji 4, Alibraheemi 2, Abbas 0.
Quarterscores: 12-18, 33-33, 55-40, 66-57.