Layout by: Monique Babon
Published by: Jannah Pauline Beldad
Date Published: September 21, 2026
Time Published: 11:18 AM
Defending champion Gilas Pilipinas suffered an early- exit following a devastating 105-61 loss at the hands of China in 2026 Asian Games at Aichi International Arena on September 14, 2026.
The Phillipine team still had a tiny spark of hope to qualify for the quarterfinals despite the loss.
However, China erased that chance by defeating Gilas with more than the 37-points margin the Philippines needed to retain their advantage in point differential.
China battered Philippines with a large 44-point lead, crushing their chance for a back-to-back title.
Going into the match, Gilas held a comfortable spot in the standings, securing the best third-placer with 27 point differential ahead of Group B's Jordan (-5) and Group A's Saudi Arabia (-11).
This advantage supposedly gave the Philippines their ticket straight to quarters but China blew the game wide open, commanding an early lead at 36-16.
The Dragons stretched their lead in the second quarter to 66-30, further bringing Gilas at its edge with 33-point lead.
Gilas struggled to match China's relentless drive, as Junjie Wang orchestrated their offense, culminating in a dominant 79-40 lead by the close of the third quarter.
A pair of three-pointers by Barefield and Don Trollano, followed by a 6-2 spurt to open the fourth quarter that cut the Philippines’ deficit to 46-81, briefly fueled hopes of meeting the 37-point threshold, but China pulled away and mounted it's biggest lead at 94-48.
With just four minutes left in the fourth quarter, Li Yuezhou's precise three-pointer extinguished Gilas' hopes of securing a top 8 spot, as China decisively concluded the game with a statement 105-61 victory.
Junjie Wang led China with 20 points and 14 rebounds, while Sanning Liao and Mingxuan Hu chimed in 14 and 13 points, respectively.
Calvin Oftana was Gilas’ lone double-digit scorer with 13 points, while Sedrick Barefield followed with nine points and four assists.
China's triumph offered the Philippines a bitter taste of their own medicine, a resemblance of the 2023 encounter where Gilas delivered a stinging one-point defeat to China, shattering their quarterfinals berth.
Gilas Pilipinas concluded their campaign in Group C with a 1-2 record, marking the Philippines' worst performance on Asian Games history since it's 7th place finish on 2014.
REFERENCE:
Anzures R. (2026, September 14). Asiad: Gilas’ title-retention hopes end with 44-point beatdown from China. ABS-CBN News. https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/basketball/2026/9/14/asiad-gilas-title-retention-hopes-end-with-44-point-beatdown-from-china-1406
