Gomez de Liaño, Quiambao shine as Gilas falls to Tall Blacks in double overtime thriller

Gilas Pilipinas let a late second-overtime lead slip away as New Zealand rallied for a dramatic 106-102 victory on Friday at Spark Arena in Auckland, extending the Philippines' losing streak against the Tall Blacks to four games in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers.

Despite the setback, Gilas had already secured a berth in the second round alongside Australia and New Zealand. The Tall Blacks' win also officially knocked Guam out of contention in Pool A.

The Filipinos appeared on track for a memorable road victory after AJ Edu's dunk and a Justin Brownlee three-pointer gave them a 100-96 cushion early in the second overtime.

New Zealand responded with poise, taking advantage of costly Philippine fouls in the closing minutes. Reuben Te Rangi and Carlin Davison combined to convert four straight free throws before Sam Mennenga capitalized on a Brownlee offensive foul to put the Tall Blacks back in front.

Kevin Quiambao answered with a game-tying layup, but Mennenga scored again after following up a missed Davison attempt. Gilas' comeback hopes faded moments later when Davison intercepted Juan Gomez de Liaño's inbound pass, leading to free throws by Jordan Ngatai and Shea Ili that sealed the win.

"It would have been nice to come down here and steal a game; that would have been special," Gilas head coach Tim Cone said after the loss.

"The fact that we got as close as we did is a huge disappointment because it felt like the game was within our grasp. We had chances in regulation and in both overtimes, but we just came up short.

"Our guys came ready to play. We fell behind by 12 early, battled back, even led by seven at one point, but we couldn't sustain it. We missed some free throws, committed unnecessary fouls, and that ended up being the difference."

With Brownlee held well below his usual production, Gilas' young stars carried the offensive load.

Juan Gomez de Liaño and Kevin Quiambao each poured in 23 points, with Gomez de Liaño also collecting six rebounds, four assists, and a steal. Dwight Ramos added 18 points, four rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and a steal, while Carl Tamayo contributed 17 points, highlighted by three three-pointers.

Brownlee, who entered the game averaging 16.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.8 assists through the first four qualifying games, finished with just five points on 2-of-3 shooting. He still grabbed eight rebounds and handed out four assists before fouling out late in the second overtime.

Tall Blacks head coach Judd Flavell credited his team's defensive effort against Brownlee while acknowledging Gilas' supporting cast stepped up.

"A lot of thoughts. A game like that, there's a lot going on and it could have gone either way. That's international basketball," Flavell said.

"Our objective was to limit Justin Brownlee because he's their offensive focal point. I thought we did a good job on him, but it created opportunities for their other players, and they made the most of them."

Brownlee's quiet night coincided with Gilas falling behind by as many as 12 points early in the third quarter, trailing 55-43.

The momentum shifted after FIBA debutant Mike Phillips entered the game. Although he finished with just two points and three rebounds in 10 minutes, his energy on both ends helped ignite a comeback that saw Gilas take a 64-63 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

The Philippines later stretched its advantage to 77-70 behind a 9-2 run fueled by RJ Abarrientos, Edu, Quiambao, and Ramos.

New Zealand answered with a rally of its own, grabbing an 83-80 lead with 21.2 seconds left in regulation before Gomez de Liaño drilled a clutch three-pointer with 11.9 seconds remaining to force overtime.

In the first extra period, Gomez de Liaño delivered again, knocking down another triple with 8.3 seconds left to give Gilas a 93-91 lead. However, Ramos fouled Shea Ili on the ensuing possession, and the New Zealand guard calmly sank two free throws to send the game into a second overtime.

"We've got an experienced group, and I think that experience made the difference down the stretch," Flavell said.

Despite the heartbreaking finish, Cone took positives from the continued development of Gilas' emerging core.

"That's how you evolve a team. You try to win with your veterans while continuing to develop your younger players," Cone said.

"Our young guys have improved every time they've come together over the last two and a half years. They joined us at around 21 years old, and now they're 24 or 25. They've grown along with the team."

Te Rangi paced New Zealand with 22 points, while Ili finished with 21 points and six assists. Sam Waardenburg recorded a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds, while Mennenga added 13 points, six rebounds, three assists, and three steals.

The loss marked Gilas' fourth consecutive defeat to New Zealand since the Philippines' breakthrough 93-89 victory over the Tall Blacks in Manila in November 2024—its lone win against New Zealand in FIBA competition.

Gilas wraps up the first round of the Asian Qualifiers against Australia in Perth, while New Zealand hosts Guam in Auckland.