MANILA — Michael Phillips emerged as the lone bright spot for Gilas Pilipinas after delivering a gritty all-around performance despite the Philippines absorbing a lopsided 92-49 loss to Australia in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers on Monday night at RAC Arena in Perth.
Playing just his second game for the national team, the 6-foot-8 forward showcased his hustle and relentless energy by tallying six points, a game-high 14 rebounds, one steal and one block in 24 minutes and 29 seconds, while electrifying the Filipino crowd with two thunderous dunks.
His standout effort earned high praise from Gilas Pilipinas head coach Tim Cone, who described Phillips as one of the team’s few positives in an otherwise difficult outing.
“Yeah, he was one of the bright lights for us tonight. He was doing great, especially in the first half. He was rebounding the heck out of the ball and just playing,” Cone said in a post-game interview.
“His nickname is ‘Motor Mike’ and there’s a reason for that. He plays with such a tremendous motor. He’s all over the floor,” added the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings mentor.
Phillips’ performance was a marked improvement from his national team debut against New Zealand last Friday, when he finished with two points, three rebounds and one steal in 11 minutes during Gilas’ 106-102 double-overtime defeat.
With veteran naturalized player Justin Brownlee sidelined by multiple injuries and key big men Kai Sotto and Quentin Millora-Brown unavailable for the qualifying window, Phillips embraced a bigger role against the Boomers.
Cone revealed that Phillips also battled through an ankle injury sustained during one of Gilas Pilipinas’ tune-up games before the third qualifying window, making his effort even more impressive.
The veteran coach believes Phillips’ energy, intensity and relentless work ethic could make him a valuable piece of the national team’s future.
“He’s a young guy, and he plays with so much enthusiasm. It’s very infectious,” Cone said of Phillips. “Tonight, it was less visible because of the score, but I think that’s something our fans are really going to appreciate moving forward — watching him play with that kind of effort and seeing the other guys get infected by it and continue to play.”
Despite the defeat, Gilas Pilipinas still secured a place in the second round of the Asian Qualifiers, finishing the first phase with a 2-4 record in Group A. The Filipinos will host Jordan on Aug. 28 and Iran on Aug. 30 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena./PN
