Asian Games 2023: Gilas Pilipinas win first men's basketball gold since 1962 in low-scoring affair against Jordan
Just 130 points were scored by the two teams combined, one of the lowest totals ever. Justin Brownlee was the Gilas' top scorer again.
Basketball
Justin Brownlee was the Gilas Pilipinas' hero once more on Friday night (6 October) as the Philippines clinched their first Asian Games men's basketball gold medal since 1962.
Brownlee top-scored with 20 points and also led the Gilas with 38 minutes 25 seconds on court and five assists as the Philippines reversed their earlier group-stage defeat against Jordan to win 19th Asian Games Hangzhou gold by a 70–60 scoreline. He also picked up 10 rebounds.
The triumph also ends the Gilas' run of missing out on a medal dating back to 1998, when the team took bronze. For Brownlee, it capped a stellar tournament during which he was the star for the Philippines nearly every game.
It had begun as a low-quality affair – an omen for the game, perhaps – Jordan reduced to firing in attempts from three-point range and going just 3-for-21 on field goal attempts in the first quarter. But the shooting improved in the second, the Jordanians scoring with four of their nine attempts from outside the three-point line, even taking the lead just before half-time before Brownlee ensured the Gilas would go into the half level at 31–31.
The partisan local crowd at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Gymnasium took to supporting the Jordanians, audibly jeering the Philippines' free throw attempts. But the Gilas showed they were unmoved, Brownlee sinking three free throws after drawing a foul as he was lining up a shot from outside the arc. Both teams continued to trade the lead early in the third, and in the vein of the first quarter continued to try their luck from downtown, with the Gilas Pilipinas having more success in that regard than the Jordanians.
Finally, the Gilas managed to go on a 14–4 scoring run, pulling away from 37–37 to lead at the third interval by a clear 10 points. However, there was no escaping the fact that it was a low-quality, tense and nervy contest. The closest Jordan would get from there was within six points, despite having the crowd's vocal backing. The Gilas defence held strong, picking up boards on Jordanian misses, and ensuring their opponents never had a clean shot at the basket.
As the clock wound down, every basket, every defensive play, was cheered loudly on the Philippines bench; the long faces on the Jordanian one grew yet longer. The crowd, too, had grown tense and quiet, their chosen team to support fading under the pressure of the timer. Fouls became the norm as Jordan tried to regain possession, but it was to be for naught.
When the buzzer sounded, there were no big celebrations – just respect between the teams as they shook hands. Only then did the Gilas began jumping about in delight, and all that could be heard were Philippine cheers in the stands and on court. The Gilas had ended a 61-year wait for gold.
It didn't matter that the game was low on quality, or that it was one of the lowest-scoring Asian Games finals ever. All that mattered was that the Philippine anthem would sound out over the arena, and gold medals placed around the Gilas players' necks.
Speaking afterwards, Chris Newsome said: "There was a lot of people who didn't think we could do it, and we proved them wrong." Teammate Angelo Kouame agreed, referring to the recent men's FIBA Basketball World Cup jointly hosted in Manila.
"We wanted to fight for everybody, we wanted to fight for the country. It's an amazing win," Kouame said. "A month after the World Cup, we knew that our national team really needed that win. Everybody came together and that was a great team effort."
Earl Scottie Thompson added: "This is special for us, for our country. This is a very meaningful win because we made history.
"Our coach told us, even from the start, that this is a rare opportunity and we should take this chance. Our game plan was to stay aggressive because every possession counts. We also followed our defensive game plan that our coaches gave us, and it worked."
Man of the hour Brownlee paid tribute to his teammates. "We knew that we would have a hard chance of playing in the game, especially when we lost to them earlier in the tournament.
"The Filipino heart, the Filipino pride…there is nothing like it. We displayed it in this tournament. We were down in some games, and we were up, and then we came back. The Filipino heart toughened us up a lot, especially in this gold medal game."