"Just believe" was the message of head coach Tim Cone to Gilas Pilipinas ahead of its match against New Zealand in the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers.
Gilas Pilipinas anchored on its belief that it could bring down its tormentor New Zealand on its fifth try.
So when they faced each other on Thursday, Nov. 21, for the second window of the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers, there was no room for doubt for the Nationals who earned a 93-89 win against the Tall Blacks in front of a jubilant 16,666 home crowd at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.
Kai Sotto starred with a near triple-double of 19 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists to backstop Justin Brownlee (26-11-4) and hold the fort for June Mar Fajardo who was held to six points, three rebounds and one assist in almost 18 minutes on the floor.
[RELATED STORY: In Photos: Gilas secures maiden win over New Zealand in FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers]
Apart from Sotto and Brownlee, Chris Newsome, Scottie Thompson and Dwight Ramos also made significant contributions in the historic win.
Watch the #OSQuickRun on Gilas' breaking of the New Zealand curse: