Philippines 🇵🇭 v New Zealand 🇳🇿 | Extended Highlights | FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers

Isaiah Leieffer, key to watch on this roster, averaged 13 points, two and a half assists at the Olympic qualifying tournament in Greece. Kaisotto, 22 years of age, and it's their big rising star. In 22 minutes of game he's averaging a team second best 15.5 points. They can't come up with the first score here. New Zealand looking to get it on a tough spin on the reverse, and then a tip to ensure. It's another outside attempt. Kaisotto fakes the hand off. Nice pass, three-point shot, wide open, not loaded. New Zealand starting to miss shots, having knocked down four of their first five. Kaisotto getting the fans excited, and he puts it into the hands of Fajardo to finish. On the defensive end, and that leading to conversions on the offensive end. Up fake, fly by, Newsome to the lane, no look pass, Sotto, little push shot over the smaller opponent, puts it in, turning it on, and so too Newsome with an air ball on the touch tight defense that time. Sotto challenging, then running the floor, and getting his reward with a beautiful stop. Now you see me, now you don't move. And off the back of Sotto's defense, not just turning it on, but turning the defense inside out. Newsome passes on, had to pick it up, down off the deck, but he put the ball in the bucket. Shot clock turned off, end of the first quarter 2020. These two not level. Wardenberg takes the long two, and he puts it in. Sam Wardenberg continues a fine first period for him. So they led for the vast majority of that opening 10 minutes before Philippines completed a nine-point comeback to lead briefly. But Wardenberg, they work it back, pinging around on the perimeter, and then a tough shot on the interior, but a confident and clinical one from Scotty Thompson. Webster on the bounce, confronted mid-air by Brownlee. Oh, the spot open on the perimeter defense just didn't greet Tamayo. He misses, but an offensive rebound and stick back again. Sotto top scorer, and also top facilitator for the Philippines. Copy of the first period, the early eight-point lead for New Zealand. He's on six points, four assists, three rebounds, and how about the flash and the finish from Scotty Thompson. Right back, and they are within one. Thompson moving it on this time to Fajada. Fans wanted him to attack in that matchup, and there's Thompson. Thompson showing he can shoot on the exterior. Thompson has nine points. He's the spark plug right now. That basket's going to count though, and one for Wardenberg. But he misses the and one, so 12 for Wardenberg. New Zealand pinch it back, tough to take for the Philippines, and they punish from the perimeter. Wants it back from Ramos. It goes the other way. Brownlee, Ramos, shot clock winding down. Oh, what a pass, and Kai Sotto detonates the dunk. Ramos looking across to Newsom. The rejection, providing the platform to launch the offense, then getting it back for the trail triple, and setting this place on fire. They're shooting superb right now. Brownlee off the back of his block. A couple of seconds differential between shot clock and game clock. They're going to take the three for the tie, and it's good. Almost inevitably so. Their shooting has been right on the money. Left with plenty of time, and Tom Vodanovic with three threes in that second period. Brownlee drawing the high double. Sotto takes plenty of attention away as well, and Fajardo puts it in, wants the foul. First you have Brownlee drawing two defenders, then you have Sotto taking the attention of three. That three-point shooting show continues. 12 of 23 now. The percentage is even improving. Sotto, tough pass, found Newsom who put it in. Eight rebounds, four assists from Brownlee, and 12. Great defense from Wardenburg though. How about the save and the score? Goes from downtown from New Zealand, and they have the lead. What a save from Thompson. It's another three-point shot. They want a foul on that one. Brownlee forced a miss. Philippines a chance to tie a game, maybe take the lead as well. Thompson pulls the trigger and hits the target, and the Philippines are ahead by one. Ramos slows it down, gives it to Sotto. Brownlee back to Sotto. Confronted mid-air, but showing his muscle. Stopped by Harris, but Sotto biting. Sotto comes it back to Thompson. Sotto feeling it as a scorer now. Looking to play a bit of volleyball. Kai Sotto banks it in. 15. Philippines have their largest lead at six. Deflection on the defensive end. Out in front, the finger roll falls for Brownlee, and the Philippines are pulling away. Now they're looking for the game's first double-digit lead. Turnaround, triple wouldn't go. How about the flying follow from the guard, Chris Newsom? Final minute of the third. Ramos, bounce pass, beautifully done. And the finish on the reverse from Tamayo. Down the baseline, back out. New Zealand have been so reliant on those threes, and they've dried up. Offensive rebound, put back up from Corey Webster. And the pendulum perhaps is swinging. Taylor Britt, oh my goodness! Taylor Britt taking all the attention of the defense. A play behind the vertebrae from the point guard. Leaving the free, that takes him to 11 assists without a single turnover in this game. Down the right rail, the attack, and the drop, and the foul, and chance of a three-point play for Brownlee. Down down superstar. Brownlee with strong contact. Eight rebounds, four assists as well. Philippines by eight. Wardenburg kicks it out. Big shot for Brown if it goes, and it does. Walter Brown from downtown. And through that fantastic play on the interior, the Philippines emerge from the foul. Missed foul shots could be costly. Big block Thompson, putting up the defensive ceiling over the top of the top scorer in the game, and his opposite number Webster. But New Zealand come right back at it. Predominantly a playmaker, and an excellent one out there. Long range to Soto. Left, unguarded, and makes the defense pay. Kai Soto now 17 points, nine rebounds, seven assists. Well that's an eye of the needle. Bounce pass and put in. Finger all good. New Zealand can make it a one possession game here from 12 down. Britt puts it back out into the hands of the potential shooter, but Brownlee having none of it says don't bring it in here. Here's Vodanovic on the burst, and how about the two-handed hammer from Soto. Aguilas, Filipinas, pile driver of Soto and Brownlee. And then Soto running the floor with power and purpose. Look at the points in the paint count. 48 to 12. Webster kicks it out. Three-point shot. New Zealand have been reliant on the outside shooting. He wants it on the offensive end as well. Has the height advantage against the point guard Britt. Draws help from Brown. Shot clock winding down. Passes out to the double rejection though, to take it away from Thompson. Webster swings it around. Wardenburg, Britt. Britt into the paint, kicks it back out. It's a three-point shot each and every time for New Zealand as they knock down their 16th. It's big crowd in the capital chanting defense. Wardenburg mid-range and knocks it down to half the deficit. Philippines ball, possession arrow favoring them, but only six to shoot. Newsom got it off the inbound. Three-point shot for him and Philippines lead by seven. On the tall blacks right now. Britt back. They need quick points. The three off, the rebound good. Brodanovich puts it in, but New Zealand barely breathing. Close the gap to five. They need to foul if they can't force a turnover. And they do commit the foul. A twist in this tantalizing tale. Britt, again they need to go quickly. Three-point shot. Brodanovich brings New Zealand back from the brink. Tie their all-time record in made threes with their 18th. If they're going down, they are going down swinging big. Brownlee has just missed a pair. Needs both. He's done it. Puts two big misses behind him to seal it in style. Now Manila as one rises to its feet with Filipino fireworks at the finish and an historic first ever win against New Zealand.