Gilas Boys capture Stop 3 crown, pull level with Belarus in Nations League

Gilas Pilipinas Boys surged into a share of first place in the 2026 FIBA 3x3 Nations League Asia 2 Conference after defeating Japan, 19-14, to capture the Stop 3 championship on Wednesday at Hextar World Empire City in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia.

The stop victory lifted the Philippines into a tie with Belarus atop the overall conference standings with 240 points each after three stops.

New Zealand sits close behind with 230 points, while Japan is fourth with 220.

The Filipino trio of Cabs Cabonilas, Koji Buenaflor, and Earl Medina took control of the championship game early, building an 18-10 cushion before sealing the five-point triumph.

Cabonilas paced Gilas with seven points, Buenaflor chipped in six, while Medina added five points, highlighted by a pair of two-point baskets.

The Philippines was flawless throughout Stop 3, opening its campaign with a 21-16 victory over New Zealand before overpowering Singapore, 22-14, in the pool stage to book a finals berth.

Returning after missing Stop 2, Cabonilas made an immediate impact by scoring 11 points against New Zealand before following it up with a 10-point performance versus Singapore. Medina and Jhuniel Dela Rama contributed six points apiece in the win over the Singaporeans.

Meanwhile, the Gilas Pilipinas Girls remained fifth in the conference standings with 170 points.

The squad of Elaine Patio, Kristan Yumul, Alyssa Rodriguez, and Marga Villanueva dropped a 21-7 decision to Japan in its opening game before rebounding with a 15-11 victory over Singapore.

The Asia 2 Conference takes a one-day break before Stop 4 resumes on Friday.

Gilas Boys will face New Zealand and Malaysia in the pool stage, while the Gilas Girls are set to take on Japan and Malaysia.