Six teams have already booked their spots in the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup quarter-finals. Defending champions Australia, Iran, China, and New Zealand were the first to qualify by going undefeated in the preliminary round. Philippines and Chinese Taipei joined them shortly after winning their play-off games against Saudi Arabia and Jordan, respectively.
Four teams are still alive, but there are only two spots available in the quarter-finals. The winner between South Korea and Guam will take on China, while New Zealand will face the winner between Japan and Lebanon.
Basketball fans in Jeddah have been treated to numerous FIBA Asia Cup 2025 highlights over the past few days, and we expect more as we go into the continental tournament’s latter stages.
Philippines book quarter-finals spot after dispatching the hosts
All hope seemed lost when the Philippines dropped their opening two matches against Chinese Taipei and New Zealand. But fast forward to today, and Tim Cone’s side is through to the quarter-finals, as they defeated Iraq in their final group stage contest and Saudi Arabia in the play-off round.
Following a subpar scoring performance against Iraq, Justin Brownlee delivered when it mattered most. The Barangay Ginebra San Miguel forward knocked down the game-tying three-pointer against Saudi Arabia to force overtime before Gilas Pilipinas eventually won 95-88 against the hosts last night.
Brownlee finished the match with a game-high 29 points, four rebounds, and five assists on 11-for-18 shooting from the field in nearly 41 minutes of action. He received help from Kevin Quiambao, AJ Edu, and Dwight Ramos, who contributed 17, 17, and 13 points.
Gilas Pilipinas built a double-digit lead in the first period, but Saudi Arabia seized control in the next two quarters. The fourth quarter was a seesaw battle, and the Philippines were in danger when Mohammed Alsuwailem’s putback gave the hosts a 79-76 lead with eight seconds left. In the ensuing possession, Brownlee shot the equalizing three over Marzouq Almuwallad’s outstretched arms. Timely baskets from Quiambao, Ramos, and Edu in OT helped the Philippines advance.
With the victory over Saudi Arabia, Gilas Pilipinas is ensured a Top 8 finish, a step up from their ninth-place finish in 2022. Tim Cone’s men will face an all-too-familiar foe in the next round, the Australian national team.
The last time Gilas Pilipinas faced Australia in an official competitive game was during a 2019 FIBA World Cup qualifiers game, where the two squads engaged in a massive brawl. The ill-fated match was abandoned with 1:57 left in the third period, with the score at 89-53 in favour of the Boomers.
Iran look unstoppable after Group B sweep
Iran reminded us why they’re one of the toughest teams in Asia, as they directly qualified for the quarter-finals with a three-game sweep in Group B, blowing out Guam and Syria, and beating a stacked Japan squad.
As mentioned, the three-time FIBA Asia Cup champions demolished Syria 82-43 last Sunday, with four players scoring double-digit points. Matin Aghajanpour caught fire from three-point land and contributed 24 points and six three-pointers on 7-for-11 shooting from the field. Backcourt partner Sina Vahedi added 19 points, three rebounds, three assists, and two steals on 5-for-10 shooting from the field.
After only scoring 25 points in the first half, Iran broke the game wide open after the halftime break by outscoring Syria 57-20 in the second half, including a 32-point outing in the third period. Iran’s stingy defence forced numerous turnovers from Syria, and they capitalised through Aghajanpour’s three-point barrage.
Sotiris Manolopoulos’ side will face Chinese Taipei in the next round, and the winner of this quarter-finals tiff will face the winner between Australia and the Philippines.
Chinese Taipei continue to punch above their weight
Chinese Taipei have defied the SBOTOP FIBA Asia Cup 2025 odds by reaching the quarter-finals for the first time since 2013. Gianluca Tucci’s men secured the second seed in Group D with a 2-1 record, and they exacted their revenge against Jordan, who defeated them at the same stage in 2022, by winning 78-64 against them last Monday.
Adam Hinton led Chinese Taipei with 18 points and four rebounds on 8-for-11 shooting from the field. Ying-Chun Chen, Ting-Chien Lin, and Mohammed Gadiaga added 15, 13, and 12 points. Brandon Gilbeck anchored their interior with nine points, 13 rebounds, and seven blocks on 4-for-9 shooting from the field.
After a tight first half, Chinese Taipei created separation through several buckets from Hinton, Chen, and Chien to build a double-digit cushion. Dar Tucker tried to keep Jordan close, but he didn’t get enough support from his teammates.
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