- Gilas Pilipinas faces host Saudi Arabia for a spot in the 2025 Fiba Asia Cup quarterfinals
- The winner between Gilas Pilipinas and Saudi Arabia takes on Group A leader Australia in the knockout quarterfinals.
LIVE UPDATES: Gilas Pilipinas vs Iraq
The group phase is over, the results are in 🔬
Next: Final stage 👀#AsiaCup pic.twitter.com/jnJH4pzs7s
— FIBA Asia Cup (@FIBAAsiaCup) August 10, 2025
August 12, Tuesday
12am – Gilas Pilipinas vs Saudi Arabia

Gilas Pilipinas coach Tim Cone during a game against Iraq in the 2025 Fiba Asia Cup.–FIBA PHOTO
Coming into a no-tomorrow game, Gilas Pilipinas would certainly want to get off to a better start, especially with the Filipinos about to face host Saudi Arabia that won’t be a pushover like in the past.
The Philippines will seek a spot in the quarterfinals at 12 midnight on Tuesday in Manila, with coach Tim Cone hoping to shake off the ills that marred its group phase campaign while displaying the mantra cultivated for many decades by the Barangay Ginebra squad he handles back home.
“What I like about our team is we just don’t quit and we just keep coming,” Cone said. “Back home, we call it the ‘Never Say Die’ attitude, and that’s evident on this team. And hopefully, that will be the one that gets us forward.

Gilas Pilipinas big man AJ Edu gestures during a game against Iraq in the 2025 Fiba Asia Cup.–FIBA PHOTO
As if playing for the country wasn’t enough motivation, AJ Edu had the biggest reasons to play his heart out watching from the stands in Gilas Pilipinas’ only win that kept the Filipinos in the 2025 Fiba Asia Cup fight.
Ranged against some of the finest big men in the region, the 6-foot-11 Edu surely got help from his teammates, but none bigger than the boost he got from his parents, who made the trip to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia to watch their boy in action.
“It was really nice to have my parents in the crowd,” said the beaming center after a 66-57 Group D victory over Iraq that put Gilas in the qualifying round for the quarterfinals.

Gilas Pilipinas coach Tim Cone gestures during a game against Iraq in the 2025 Fiba Asia Cup.–FIBA PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—Coach Tim Cone and Gilas Pilipinas packed a lot of things for their trip to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia for the 2025 Fiba Asia Cup.
They also made sure they brought their never-say-die mindset with them.
Gilas Pilipinas may have dropped two of its first three games in the continental meet, but even in the losses, the squad displayed its no-quit mentality.

Gilas Pilipinas forward Justin Brownlee during a game against Iraq in the 2025 Fiba Asia Cup.–FIBA PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—Gilas Pilipinas lived to fight another day in the 2025 Fiba Asia Cup on Saturday night, and it only fueled Justin Brownlee’s drive to keep the Philippines in contention in the continental meet.
After two losses to open the tournament, Gilas notched its breakthrough win over Iraq, 66-57, to secure a spot in the quarterfinals qualification.
“It’s great to advance. We’re definitely not satisfied though,” said Brownlee. “We know we have a lot more work to do and we have some tough teams ahead but whatever challenges lie ahead, we’re just ready to take them on.”

Gilas Pilipinas during a game against Iraq in the 2025 Fiba Asia Cup.–FIBA PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines–Gilas Pilipinas will take on Saudi Arabia in the qualification game for the quarterfinals of the Fiba Asia Cup after the host nation’s romp of India on Saturday in Jeddah.
Saudi Arabia pulled away midway in the second quarter on its way to securing an 84-59 rout at King Abdullah Sports City to secure a second-place finish in Group C at 2-1.
That cemented a faceoff with the Philippines, which wound up third in Group D at 1-2 following its 66-57 win over Iraq a few hours earlier.
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