MANILA, Philippines – Gilas Pilipinas flexes its might to open its 19th Asian Games campaign, blowing out Bahrain, 89-61, at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Gymnasium in China on Tuesday, September 26.

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ASIAN GAMES BASKETBALL | FINAL:

Justin Brownlee flexes his might in his national team return as Gilas Pilipinas blows out Bahrain in their Asian Games debut, 89-61!#AsianGames pic.twitter.com/DpiEpCieRT

— Rappler Sports (@RapplerSports) September 26, 2023

Fourth quarter

• GILAS PILIPINAS 87-53: Marcio Lassiter piles on another long bomb
• GILAS PILIPINAS 84-53: Ange Kouame short jumper
• GILAS PILIPINAS 82-53: June Mar Fajardo scores two from the line
• GILAS PILIPINAS 80-53: Mohamed Bually 1/2 free throws
• GILAS PILIPINAS 80-52: Chris Ross splits from the line
• GILAS PILIPINAS 79-52: Ange Kouame 2/2 from the line
• GILAS PILIPINAS 77-52: Marcio Lassiter lays it in
• GILAS PILIPINAS 75-52: Mohamed Buallay and-one conversion
• GILAS PILIPINAS 75-49: Wayne Chism short stab
• GILAS PILIPINAS 75-47: Marcio Lassiter three

Third quarter

• END OF 3Q: Gilas Pilipinas sits on a comfortable 72-47 cushion with a quarter left to play
• GILAS PILIPINAS 72-47: Bahrain sinks a trey
• GILAS PILIPINAS 72-44: Ange Kouame 1/2 at the stripe
• GILAS PILIPINAS 71-44: CJ Perez misses the first and makes the second free throw
• GILAS PILIPINAS 70-44: Scottie Thompson splits his foul shots
• GILAS PILIPINAS 69-44: Ali Aqeel Melad answers with his own trey
• GILAS PILIPINAS 69-41: Calvin Oftana for three
• GILAS PILIPINAS 66-41: Justin Brownlee steals and scores
• GILAS PILIPINAS 64-41: June Mar Fajardo scores off a CJ Perez assist
• GILAS PILIPINAS 62-41: Justin Brownlee nifty cut to the hoop
• GILAS PILIPINAS 60-41: Mohammed Hamoda sinks the open triple
• GILAS PILIPINAS 60-38: CJ Perez with another fastbreak conversion
• GILAS PILIPINAS 58-38: Calvin Oftana long bomb
• GILAS PILIPINAS 55-38: CJ Perez scores on a fastbreak layup off a Justin Brownlee dime
• GILAS PILIPINAS 53-38: Mustafa Rashed for three
• GILAS PILIPINAS 53-35: Mustafa Rashed fastbreak layup is good
• GILAS PILIPINAS 53-33: Justin Brownlee 2/3 at the line as PH goes up by 20 points

First-half performers

• Justin Brownlee (PHI) – 14 points, 7 rebounds
• CJ Perez (PHI) – 10 points, 2 steals
• Ange Kouame (PHI) – 10 points
• Maitham Almoathin (BRN) – 14 points, 2 assists
• Mustafa Rashed (BRN) – 8 points, 3 rebounds

Second quarter

• END OF 2Q: Gilas Pilipinas pulls away in the second quarter as it enters the break ahead 51-33
• GILAS PILIPINAS 51-33: Mustafa Rashed beats the buzzer with a running three-pointer
• GILAS PILIPINAS 51-30: Ange Kouame bullies his way inside
• GILAS PILIPINAS 49-30: Ange Kouame steady at the stripe as he makes two
• GILAS PILIPINAS 47-30: Mustafa Rashed 2/2 at the line
• GILAS PILIPINAS 47-28: Chris Newsome cans the open triple
• GILAS PILIPINAS 44-28: Scottie Thompson finds Ange Kouame inside
• GILAS PILIPINAS 42-28: Maitham Almoathin stops and pops for the fastbreak trey
• GILAS PILIPINAS 42-25: Maitham Almoathin splits his free throws
• GILAS PILIPINAS 42-24: Ange Kouame sinks his freebies
• GILAS PILIPINAS 40-24: Ange Kouame down low 
• GILAS PILIPINAS 38-24: Justin Brownlee ices his charity shots
• GILAS PILIPINAS 36-24: Justin Brownlee gets the shot to go plus the foul
• GILAS PILIPINAS 34-24: Maitham Almoathin 2/2 at the stripe
• GILAS PILIPINAS 34-22: Japeth Aguilar left open for the jumper
• GILAS PILIPINAS 32-22: Justin Brownlee from downtown
• GILAS PILIPINAS 29-22: Ali Husain Rashed with the easy deuce
• GILAS PILIPINAS 29-20: CJ Perez again as he hits the first PH triple
• GILAS PILIPINAS 26-20: CJ Perez 2/2 at the line
• GILAS PILIPINAS 24-20: CJ Perez with the strong attack 
• GILAS PILIPINAS 22-20: Ali Husain Rashed inside

First quarter

• END OF 1Q: Gilas Pilipinas with a slim 22-18 lead over Bahrain
• GILAS PILIPINAS 22-18: Ali Husain Rashed for three
• GILAS PILIPINAS 22-15: CJ Perez with the deuce off a June Mar Fajardo pass
• GILAS PILIPINAS 20-15: Mohamed Buallay 1/2 at the line
• GILAS PILIPINAS 20-14: Justin Brownlee finds Scottie Thompson for the fastbreak layup
• GILAS PILIPINAS 18-14: CJ Perez 1/2 at the line
• GILAS PILIPINAS 17-14: Justin Brownlee posts up a smaller defender and sinks it
• GILAS PILIPINAS 15-14: June Mar Fajardo scores down low
• BAHRAIN 14-13: Wayne Chism goes 2/2 for the lead
• GILAS PILIPINAS 13-12: Maitham Almoathin banks it in
• GILAS PILIPINAS 13-10: Wayne Chism splits his freebies
• GILAS PILIPINAS 13-9: Calvin Oftana hits the baseline jumper
• GILAS PILIPINAS 11-9: Mustafa Rashed drains a trey for Bahrain
• GILAS PILIPINAS 11-6: Scottie Thompson cans his free throws
• GILAS PILIPINAS 9-6: Justin Brownlee completes the and-one
• 6-6: Bahrain cans another three-pointer
• GILAS PILIPINAS 6-3: Justin Brownlee scores
• GILAS PILIPINAS 6-3: Maitham Almoathin for three
• GILAS PILIPINAS 4-0: Calvin Oftana putback is good
• GILAS PILIPINAS 2-0: June Mar Fajardo cleans up his own miss

Gilas Pilipinas starters

• Justin Brownlee, Scottie Thompson, Chris Newsome, Calvin Oftana, June Mar Fajardo

PREVIEW

Gilas Pilipinas has not won a medal in the Asian Games since 1998.

The quest to break that dry spell in the 2023 edition begins as the Philippines tangles with Bahrain in pool play at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Gymnasium in China on Tuesday, September 26.

Naturalized player Justin Brownlee leads the charge in the continental showpiece after helping the Filipinos reclaim their crown in the Southeast Asian Games in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, in May.

FIBA World Cup holdovers June Mar Fajardo, Scottie Thompson, and Japeth Aguilar backstop Brownlee together with Ange Kouame, Chris Newsome, Calvin Oftana, and Marcio Lassiter.

Last-minute replacements CJ Perez, Arvin Tolentino, Chris Ross, and Kevin Alas are expected to represent the country after organizers rejected the inclusion of Calvin Abueva, Terrence Romeo, Jason Perkins, and Mo Tautuaa.

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Tim Cone, who coached the Philippine Centennial Team that won bronze in 1998 in Bangkok, Thailand, will call the shots anew in the Asian Games.

While Bahrain is ranked No. 69 in the world – 31 spots below the Philippines – it is no pushover.

Like Gilas Pilipinas, Bahrain qualified for the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament after going unbeaten in the Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament in Syria in August.

Former PBA import Wayne Chism shows the way for the Bahrainis together with Mosti Rashed and Muzamil Ameer Hamooda.

Game time is 1:30 pm. – Rappler.com

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