Gilas Pilipinas finally shed a 13-year hex against Iran on Sunday night, August 30. The Filipinos ground out a 68-56 win to complete a perfect sweep of Window 4 in the FIBA World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers.

The victory came at the SM Mall of Asia Arena — the same venue where Gilas had suffered painful losses to Iran in years past. This time, the script flipped in the Filipinos’ favor.

Gilas Flips the Script Against Longtime Tormentor

The Filipinos had dropped their last two meetings with Team Melli on the FIBA stage. Their most recent defeat came in the 2019 World Cup Qualifiers’ Second Round back in November 2018.

That 78-70 loss happened at the same SM Mall of Asia Arena. It was also where Jimmy Alapag and the “Puso”-era squad fell to Iran in the Final of the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship.

This time, the present-day roster made sure history wouldn’t repeat itself. Much like their win over Jordan two days earlier, Gilas weathered a slow start before finding its rhythm.

Ramos, Sotto Lead Balanced Scoring Attack

Dwight Ramos and Juan Gomez de Liano led the offense with 16 points apiece. The duo also combined for 10 rebounds, fueling a decisive 14-2 closing run.

Kai Sotto added another strong outing with 13 points and 16 rebounds for his latest double-double. His presence down low proved vital against a physical Iranian frontline.

The trio’s balanced production allowed Gilas to overcome the absence of naturalized star Justin Brownlee, who did not suit up for the window.

The win pushed the Philippines to .500 in Group E and snapped a four-game losing skid. Gilas will now carry that momentum into its remaining qualifiers on the road to 2027.