Miracle in Hangzhou: Cone raves over Brownlee, Gilas for unseating China

MANILA, Philippines – Gilas Pilipinas’ come-from-behind victory over hosts China in the basketball semifinals of the 19th Asian Games Wednesday night was nothing short of a miracle, head coach Tim Cone said.

Gilas, which trailed by as much as 20 points in the game, pulled off a pulsating 77-76 win behind the heroics of beloved Ginebra import and naturalized Filipino Justin Brownlee.

Brownlee hit big shots, including a 3-pointer from the wing and over two defenders, that put the Philippines on top once and for all with about 23 seconds remaining. He finished the game with a total of seven 3-pointers, five of which came in that decisive fourth period alone.

“It was quite a miraculous win by us. I mean, I do not know what to say about Justin Brownlee making all those shots down the stretch,” Cone told reporters after the game, as seen in a video posted by Radyo Pilipinas 2’s Ria Arevalo on X (formerly Twitter).

Miraculous win.

That is how Gilas Pilipinas Coach @manilacone described their 77-76 victory over host China in the semifinals of the #AsianGames men’s basketball Wednesday night.#LabanPilipinas#19thAsianGames pic.twitter.com/mvEZ6Pljh4

— Ria Arevalo (@_riaarevalo) October 4, 2023

Down nine, 67-76, with about three minutes remaining, CJ Perez hit a 2-pointer before Brownlee went on an 8-0 scoring rampage.

Brownlee’s last 3-pointer pushed Gilas to the driver’s seat — its first and only lead in the game — all the way to the massive win.

Cone admitted that the team “did not look like they had any chance” of coming back from 20 points down, especially in front of the home crowd.

“But I am really proud of my players for continuing the battle, continuing to fight and finding a way to get back in,” the coach said.

“But of course, we couldn’t do it without Justin, doing the things he does… A very, very clutch player,” he added.

The win by the Nationals catapulted them to the Asiad finals and dethroned China as Asia’s basketball kings.

They will be facing the Rondae Hollis-Jefferson led Jordan in a rematch for the gold medal on Friday evening.

Brownlee, meanwhile, said in another video that the team emphasized the need to have a “special” performance against China.Gilas is guaranteed a silver medal.

Already guaranteed a silver, Gilas is poised to take home the first Asiad basketball medal for the Philippines since 1998, when the Philippine Centennial Team — then also coached by Cone — settled for bronze.