Taiwan’s men’s basketball team advanced to the six-team qualifying tournament for this year’s Saudi Arabia International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Asia Cup after defeating the Philippines 91-84 in Taipei on Thursday.
The victory is Taiwan’s first win against Gilas Pilipinas since 2016, avenging a 53-point drubbing in Pasig, Philippines, nearly a year ago.
Gianluca Tucci, Taiwan’s head coach, praised the team’s dedication and said the win is well-deserved.
Photo: Chen Jung-chen, CNA
“I don’t really see this as a surprise, because I deeply believe in my team. And if you see how hard they work [and] train, you can consider [this win the same way] as [I do],” said Tucci, who was appointed just a year ago.
Despite Justin Brownlee’s dominant 39-point, eight-assist performance for the Philippines, Taiwan remained composed and held firm down the stretch.
Lin Ting-chien and Mohammad Al Bachir Gadiaga led the scoring with 21 points each, supported by Lu Chun-hsiang and Ma Chien-hao who combined for 32 points.
Taiwan’s Brandon Gilbeck also made a significant defensive impact with five blocks.
“It’s fantastic to see multiple players step up and contribute offensively,” said Lin, who also recorded seven rebounds and five assists.
Lin credited captain Liu Cheng for energizing the team’s defense, despite his scoreless outing.
The defeat is Gilas’ first loss in the group stage, prompting the Philippines’ head coach Tim Cone to take responsibility, while acknowledging Taiwan’s progress over the past year.
“We knew they were going to be much improved from the last time we played them, but they were even better than we thought. That’s on me. No doubt, I should have prepared us better,” Cone wrote on X yesterday.
With the Philippines and New Zealand leading Group B with a 4-1 record, the two teams would compete for first place in Auckland tomorrow.
The already-eliminated Hong Kong host Taiwan in their final group-stage game tomorrow.
Taiwan would continue their quest for an Asia Cup berth in the upcoming qualifying tournament, which would be contested by six third-place teams from the first qualifying round later this year.
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