Sotto, Perez star as Gilas subdues Jordan in OT thriller

MANILA – CJ Perez came through in the clutch while Kai Sotto delivered the decisive defensive play as Gilas Pilipinas escaped Jordan, 82-81, in overtime in the FIBA Basketball World Cup Asian Qualifiers at Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City on Friday night.

Perez repeatedly answered Jordan’s big shots down the stretch before Sotto swatted away the potential game-winning attempt of Abdullah Olajuwon in the final seconds, allowing the Philippines to snap a four-game losing streak and start Window 4 of the qualifiers in dramatic fashion.

Sotto finished with 18 points and 14 rebounds, while Perez added 16. Dwight Ramos and Kevin Quiambao chipped in 14 points each.

The Philippines rose to 3-4 but is still outside the top three. Jordan is tied with Iran and New Zealand at 5-2.

New Zealand nipped Iran, 93-91, in the earlier game.

The nationals had to dig deep without star naturalized player Justin Brownlee, who is nursing hamstring and knee injuries

Gilas endured a nightmarish start, falling behind by as many as 18 points before gradually clawing its way back behind Sotto, AJ Edu and Carl Tamayo, whose three-pointer just before halftime cut Jordan’s lead to five, 44-39.

The nationals came out firing in the third, putting together a 12-2 run to take a 51-46 lead as their defense began forcing turnovers and disrupting Jordan’s rhythm.

The Falcons answered with a 10-0 spurt, however, and held a 58-54 advantage going into the fourth.

The final period turned into a seesaw battle, with Perez repeatedly keeping Gilas within striking distance.

After Jordan regained the lead, Perez tied the game at 66 before Sotto’s putback gave the Philippines a 68-66 edge with 3:03 left.

Freddy Ibrahim buried a three-pointer to put Jordan back ahead, 69-68, but Perez answered with a floater with 1:19 remaining to give Gilas a 70-69 lead.

Jordan responded with another three to make it 72-70, but Perez drove for the tying basket with 43 seconds left to force overtime.

Sotto again delivered in the extra period, putting back a miss with 41.5 seconds remaining to give Gilas a 79-78 lead.

Omar Salman split his two free throws with 30.6 seconds left to tie the game at 79, setting the stage for Quiambao.

The former UAAP Most Valuable Player with De La Salle buried a booming three-pointer with 11.7 seconds remaining to put Gilas ahead, 82-79, sending the Mall of Asia Arena crowd into a frenzy.

Ibrahim made two free throws with 9.7 seconds left after Perez was called for a foul, cutting the lead to 82-81 and sending the Gilas guard out of the game with his fifth foul.

Jordan regained possession after Gilas was called for a five-second violation, but Sotto stood tall at the rim and blocked the final attempt as time expired.

Gilas will try to build on the hard-earned victory when it faces Iran at 8 p.m. on Sunday.

From 16 teams, the Asia and Oceania group is down to 12 teams (two groups of six teams each). Window 5 will be on Nov. 23 to Dec. 1 and Window 6 (finals) on Feb. 2 to March 2, 2027.

Seven teams will qualify for the 2027 World Cup -- the top three per group plus the best 4th-place team. Qatar automatically qualifies as host.

Quiambao dedicates game-winner to Tamayo

With Tamayo out for the rest of the game, Quiambao delivered when he hit the eventual game-winning three.

When asked about his clutch shot, Quiambao said that he was dedicating it to Tamayo, who tweaked his ankle with 7:58 left in the third quarter and never came back.

"Para kay Carl 'yon. Pagaling ka, Carl, and hopefully, makalaro ka sa Sunday (That was for Carl. Get well soon, Carl, and hopefully, you can play on Sunday)," he said after the game.

Quiambao and Tamayo were teammates at NU-Nazareth School during their high school days.

"Sobrang sarap sa pakiramdam noong shumoot yung tira. Malaking confidence para sa akin (It was a great feeling when I made the shot. It boosted my confidence)," he added.

The go-ahead shot and the ensuing Sotto defensive gem sealed Gilas' much-needed win to keep alive their dreams of making the FIBA Basketball World Cup in Qatar.

"Yung resiliency ng team (The team's resiliency), it happened," Quiambao further said. "Pinakita namin na kaya naming mag-keep up (We showed that we can keep up) for the whole 40 minutes, and we know that basketball is a game of runs. So, I just need to find that momentum, and dumating nga (it indeed came)."

The question in everyone’s mind now is: Will we still see Tamayo when Gilas battles Iran on Sunday night?

Coach Tim Cone said the physical therapists will try to manage the pain in Tamayo's ankle before Gilas decides whether to risk playing him or sit him out.

"He can walk, but beyond walking, the ankle is swollen. It's a sprained ankle, and we'll give him the treatment tonight, and we'll give him the treatment tomorrow. And we'll see how he is at that point," Cone said.

While awaiting the final word, he said Justin Arana and RJ Abarrientos are on standby if Tamayo is indeed ruled out.

"In the meantime, you know, we still got Justin Arana and RJ Abarrientos on the list, so one of those two guys could fill in for Carl, if necessary. Hopefully, it won't be necessary," Cone added. (PNA)