Pasay city: CJ Perez came through in the clutch while Kai Sotto delivered the decisive defensive play as Gilas Pilipinas escaped Jordan, 82-81, in overtime in the FIBA Basketball World Cup Asian Qualifiers at Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City on Friday night.
According to Philippines News Agency, Perez repeatedly answered Jordan's big shots down the stretch before Sotto swatted away the potential game-winning attempt of Abdullah Olajuwon in the final seconds. This allowed the Philippines to snap a four-game losing streak and start Window 4 of the qualifiers in dramatic fashion. Sotto finished with 18 points and 14 rebounds, while Perez added 16. Dwight Ramos and Kevin Quiambao chipped in 14 points each.
The victory lifted the Philippines to a 3-4 record, though the team remains outside the top three. Jordan, with a record of 5-2, is tied with Iran and New Zealand. In an earlier game, New Zealand edged Iran, 93-91.
The nationals had to dig deep without star naturalized player Justin Brownlee, who is nursing hamstring and knee injuries. Gilas endured a challenging start, trailing by as much as 18 points. They gradually clawed their way back with contributions from Sotto, AJ Edu, and Carl Tamayo, whose three-pointer just before halftime reduced Jordan's lead to five, 44-39.
Gilas came out strong in the third quarter, putting together a 12-2 run to take a 51-46 lead as their defense began to force turnovers and disrupt Jordan's rhythm. However, the Falcons responded with a 10-0 spurt and held a 58-54 advantage going into the fourth quarter.
The final period was a seesaw battle, with Perez repeatedly keeping Gilas within striking distance. After Jordan regained the lead, Perez tied the game at 66 before Sotto's putback gave the Philippines a 68-66 edge with 3:03 left. Freddy Ibrahim then hit a three-pointer to put Jordan back ahead, 69-68, but Perez answered with a floater with 1:19 remaining to give Gilas a 70-69 lead. Jordan responded with another three to make it 72-70, but Perez drove for the tying basket with 43 seconds left, forcing overtime.
Sotto again delivered in the extra period, putting back a miss with 41.5 seconds remaining to give Gilas a 79-78 lead. Omar Salman split his two free throws with 30.6 seconds left, tying the game at 79 and setting the stage for Quiambao. The former UAAP Most Valuable Player with De La Salle buried a booming three-pointer with 11.7 seconds remaining to put Gilas ahead, 82-79, sending the Mall of Asia Arena crowd into a frenzy.
Ibrahim made two free throws with 9.7 seconds left after Perez was called for a foul, cutting the lead to 82-81 and sending the Gilas guard out of the game with his fifth foul. Jordan regained possession after Gilas was called for a five-second violation, but Sotto stood tall at the rim and blocked the final attempt as time expired.
Gilas will try to build on the hard-earned victory when it faces Iran at 8 p.m. on Sunday. From 16 teams, the Asia and Oceania group is down to 12 teams, divided into two groups of six teams each. Window 5 will be from Nov. 23 to Dec. 1, and Window 6 (finals) will be from Feb. 2 to March 2, 2027. Seven teams will qualify for the 2027 World Cup, with the top three per group and the best fourth-place team advancing. Qatar automatically qualifies as the host.
Quiambao dedicated his game-winning shot to Tamayo, who injured his ankle and could not return to the game. "Para kay Carl 'yon. Pagaling ka, Carl, and hopefully, makalaro ka sa Sunday (That was for Carl. Get well soon, Carl, and hopefully, you can play on Sunday)," he said after the game. Quiambao and Tamayo were teammates at NU-Nazareth School during their high school days.
The question now is whether Tamayo will be fit to play when Gilas faces Iran. Coach Tim Cone stated that physical therapists will assess Tamayo's condition before deciding whether he can play. In the meantime, Justin Arana and RJ Abarrientos are on standby if Tamayo is ruled out.
