Gilas has to be better on defense from the get-go, says Newsome

Gilas Pilipinas’ Chris Newsome going through pre-game training with assistant coach Josh Reyes before their game against New Zealand in the 2025 Fiba Asia Cup qualifiers. –FIBA PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Gilas Pilipinas took on a New Zealand side that fired on all cylinders from the get-go  in their rematch in the 2025 Fiba Asia Cup qualifiers.

The Filipinos faltered in locking down the home bets as early as the first quarter, where the Kiwis buried them early and zoomed to a 30-15 lead

LIVE: Gilas Pilipinas vs New Zealand at 2025 Fiba Asia Cup qualifiers

“For us, we just have to do better defensively in starting games,” said guard Chris Newsome following their 87-70 loss at Spark Arena in Auckland on Sunday morning (Manila time).

“It’s one of those games where we wish we could’ve played better but that’s how basketball goes. You win some and you lose some.”

Gilas Pilipinas’ Chris Newsome during a game against New Zealand Tall Blacks in the 2025 Fiba Asia Cup qualifiers in Auckland. –FIBA PHOTO

Newsome finished with 13 points and two rebounds off the bench but that wasn’t enough to match Tall Blacks’ hot-shooting night.

It didn’t help Gilas’ cause that Justin Brownlee, who finished with 39 points in the Philippines’ last game, seemingly lost steam and finished with just 10 points.

Newsome also echoed coach Tim Cone’s sentiments on starting the game slow and unable to match the Tall Blacks’ efficiency.

READ: Tim Cone laments Gilas’ poor first quarter in loss to New Zealand 

“It’s tough whenever you fall behind early in the game and you try to claw your way back on the game, especially on the road,” Newsome said.

“They shot really well and only missed like one or two shots in the first four minutes of the game so anytime you get a hot start like that, it’s going to be a long night.”

New Zealand breezed past Gilas’ subpar defense and sank 13 buckets from beyond the arc, all while shooting a respectable 43.5 percent field goal shooting clip.

The Tall Blacks’ victory also sent them to the top seed of Group B after the ACQ. Gilas still has a ticket slot to Saudi Arabia on August’s Asia Cup with a 4-2 card.