New Zealand punched a ticket to the second round of the FIBA World Cup 2027 Asian qualifiers after a nerve-wracking 106-102 victory in two overtimes against the visiting Philippines at the Spark Arena in Auckland on Friday.
The hosts squandered a 12-point lead following a huge Gilas Pilipinas fightback in the fourth quarter of the game.
Juan Gomez de Liaño stunned the Tall Blacks with a booming triple that tied the score at 83-all with 11.9 seconds remaining in the regulation.
Shea Ili and Tai Webster attempted to bury additional baskets in the 11-second window but could not finish, forcing the game into overtime.
First OT
The lead changed hands multiple times in a see-saw first period of overtime.
When New Zealand took an 87-85 lead midway through the extra regulation, the Filipinos responded with a strong layup from Justin Brownlee, followed by a 3-0 spurt from Kevin Quiambao to give the Philippines a three-point edge.
Back-to-back baskets from Reuben Te Rangi gave the momentum back to the Tall Blacks, but de Liaño, once again, drained a clutch triple to the jubilation of the Filipino crowd. However, a foul by Dwight Ramos allowed Ili to knock points from the charity lane to force a second overtime.
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Second OT
The Tall Blacks showed better composure in the second extra period.
Despite Gilas taking a 100-96 advantage, the host squad kept their aggressiveness, sending Te Rangi and Carlin Davison to the free-throw line to tie the game once more.
Quiambao and Sam Menenga traded baskets to keep the scores knotted at 102-all, but the New Zealander got the better of the exchanges by putting the Tall Blacks by two points for good.
Jordan Ngatai and Ili then sealed the hard-fought victory from the charity stripes.
Te Rangi powered NZ with 22 points, while Ili added 21 markers. For the Filipinos, young guns de Liaño and Quiambao played best with 23 points each.
NZ advance, PH place third
The win entrenched New Zealand in second place in Group A of the qualifiers with eight points, with three wins and two losses.
The Philippines settled for third place with seven points on two wins and three losses.
Meanwhile, Australia dominated Guam, 124-52, at the RAC Arena in Perth to remain at the top of Group A with a perfect 5-0 slate.
The top three finishers in each group advance to the next round of the qualifiers.
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