Metro Manila, Philippines – Gilas Pilipinas squandered a four-point edge in the crucial stretch as it absorbed a heartbreaking 106-102 double overtime loss to host New Zealand in the third window of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Asian qualifiers on Friday, July 3, at the Spark Arena in Auckland.
Sam Mennenga made two straight clutch buckets with under a minute remaining in the second overtime to help the Tall Blacks secure the win in the tight contest.
Juan Gomez de Liano delivered one of his finest performances for Gilas as he knocked down a couple of three-pointers to give the Philippines a huge boost in the extra periods. He finished with 23 points, six rebounds, and four assists.
It was a devastating setback for Gilas, which managed to build leads in the game, but the Filipino cagers just could not execute properly in the end.
Kevin Quiambao also tallied 23 points and three rebounds, while Dwight Ramos added 18 points and four rebounds for the Philippines
Reuben Te Rangi and Shea Ili combined for 43 markers for the Tall Blacks.
The Philippines fell to 2-3 in Group A, while New Zealand improved to 3-2 for second place in the team standings. Both countries are qualified in the second round of the Asian qualifiers alongside top seed Australia.
Gilas will aim to bounce back against Australia on July 6 in Perth.
