MANILA — Gilas Pilipinas’ Asian Games reign came to a crushing end after China exacted revenge with a 105-61 demolition of the defending champions in the final Group C game of the 2026 Asian Games men’s basketball tournament on Monday in Japan.
The staggering 44-point defeat sent the Philippines crashing out of the men’s 5-on-5 competition with a 1-2 preliminary-round record, three years after Gilas stunned China in the semifinals on its way to capturing the Asian Games gold medal.
The Filipinos entered the game with some margin for error, needing to lose by no more than 37 points to remain in contention for one of the two quarterfinal berths reserved for the best third-place teams.
But China left little room for survival.
The eight-time Asian Games champions overwhelmed Gilas on both ends from the opening tip and stormed to a massive 66-30 halftime advantage, immediately putting the Philippines’ title defense in serious jeopardy.
China continued to dominate in the second half and stretched its advantage to as many as 44 points.
Gilas briefly gave itself hope early in the fourth quarter when Robert Bolick buried a three-pointer that trimmed the deficit to 36 points — just inside the margin the Philippines needed to stay alive.
The Chinese, however, quickly responded and rebuilt their cushion beyond the crucial 37-point threshold, shutting the door on any Philippine escape.
China repeatedly punished the Philippine interior defense before finding its range from beyond the arc to complete the rout and eliminate the defending champions.
Junjie Wang powered China with a double-double of 20 points and 14 rebounds, while Sanning Liao added 14 points and Mingxuan Hu contributed 13.
Hongquan Li and Boqiai Chao chipped in 11 points apiece, while Yongxi Cui and Hu Jingqui finished with 10 each.
Calvin Oftana was the lone Gilas player to reach double figures with 13 points, while Sedrick Barefield added nine.
The lopsided result completed a dramatic reversal from the Philippines’ memorable 2023 Asian Games campaign, when Gilas eliminated host China in the semifinals before eventually winning the gold medal.
Three years later, China returned the favor in emphatic fashion — dethroning the Filipinos and ending their title defense in the group stage./PN
