Photo credit: FIBA | fiba.basketball
World No. 34 and Asia's No. 7, Gilas Pilipinas Men (1-1) suffered a 21-point rout, marking their first setback in the mini-tournament. Facing Asia's No. 5, Arakji-less Lebanon (1-1), in their second game of the 4-Nation Doha International Cup 2025 on Saturday evening, February 15, 2025, at the Qatar University Sports Arena in Doha.
The game was tightly contested in the early stages, with Lebanon holding a slim 13-12 lead after the opening quarter. Gilas responded in the second period, adjusting their offensive approach to take a narrow 28-26 advantage at halftime. Momentum shifted in the third quarter as Lebanon capitalized on Gilas’ turnovers and defensive lapses, reclaiming the lead at 51-48. However, it was in the final frame where the Cedars took full control, unleashing a dominant 24-6 run to pull away and secure the commanding victory.
Lebanon’s aggressive defense and efficient scoring down the stretch proved to be the difference, as Gilas struggled to find offensive rhythm in the closing minutes. The loss drops Gilas to a 1-1 record in the mini-tournament, while Lebanon improves to 1-1.
Leading the Cedars' offense were national team mainstays Gerard Hadidian and Jad Khalil, who scored 18 points each. Veteran guard Karim Zeinoun added 13 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists, while Ater Majok finished with 12 points, a team-high 9 rebounds, and a block.
Justin Brownlee delivered a double-double for Gilas with 21 points on 9-of-21 shooting, along with 11 rebounds and an assist. Calvin Oftana added 10 points, 3 rebounds, and a steal. They were the only two Gilas players to finish in double figures.
Gilas will look to bounce back in their next matchup against the undefeated Egypt (2-0) early Monday morning, February 17, at 1:30 AM PHL time. [LIVE]
The Scores:
LEBANON 75 - Hadidian 18, Khalil 18, Zeinoun 13, Majok 12, Mezher 8, Rtail 4, Makhlouf 2, Samaha 0, Moussa 0, Khoueiry 0.
PHILIPPINES 54 - Brownlee 21, Oftana 10, Thompson 7, Edu 6, Ramos 5, Fajardo 2, Newsome 1, Perez 1, Quiambao 1, Tamayo 0, Malonzo 0, Amos 0.
Quarters: 13-12, 26-28, 51-48, 75-54. [FULL REPLAY VIDEO] | [GAME STATS]
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