2025 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers: Gilas flexes size, depth in emphatic home win over Hong Kong

GILAS Pilipinas cruised to a 93-54 win over Hong Kong on Sunday to stay undefeated in the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers at the Mall of Asia Arena. Kai Sotto (220-C-2002) and June Mar Fajardo (210-C-1989) got things going early for Gilas, imposing their height advantage against a smaller Hong Kong team that mostly leaned on its outside shots to produce points and stay in the game. In its final home game of the qualifiers, the Philippines improved to 4-0 win-loss in Group B after sweeping its assignments in Window 2 counting a first-ever win over New Zealand, 93-89, last Thursday night. Barring any monumental upset by Chinese Taipei over world No. 22 New Zealand on Monday in an away game, the Philippines will formally book a ticket to the FIBA Asia Cup at the end of this window. The Fiba Asia Cup 2025 will be held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in August where Gilas will once again battle against the best in the continent after bagging the gold medal in last year’s Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. The Philippines’ last two assignments in the third and final window of the qualifiers will be at Chinese Taipei on February 20 and New Zealand on February 23. Gilas Pilipinas’ lead swelled even further after outscoring Hong Kong, 22-8, in the third quarter to end the period ahead, 67-43. Dwight Ramos (193-G-1998, college: CPP), however, was the lone DNP of the game as he was dealing with a calf injury, much to the disappointment of most of the fans who wanted a glimpse of the popular Japan-based Gilas guard.
Courtesy of: spin.ph