Gilas Wins Two, Still Slides to No. 40

Gilas Pilipinas beat Jordan, 82-81, then took down Iran, 68-56, in the fourth window of the FIBA World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers. Gilas dropped one spot in the latest FIBA men’s world rankings anyway, falling from No. 39 to No. 40.

The Philippines held on to its position as the seventh-ranked team in Asia, posting 397.3 ranking points. Japan (22), New Zealand (25), Iran (28), China (30), and Lebanon (33) all remain ahead of Gilas in the region, while Australia leads Asia at No. 7 in the world.

Why the Ranking Still Dropped

The one-spot drop came down to Sweden’s own rise in the rankings, after Sweden beat No. 16 Finland on the road, 86-81, in European qualifying play. That result shifted points in Europe, and Gilas lost the spot to it despite winning both of its own games.

Cone Calls the Iran Win One of the Toughest of His Tenure

Head coach Tim Cone called the win over Iran one of the toughest of his time with the team. He noted it was only the Philippines’ third win against Iran in the last 13 meetings between the two sides. Cone said Kai Sotto asked him, walking in, whether he was now the happiest man in the world. Cone had told the team earlier that a sweep would make him exactly that.