Gilas Coach Cone Takes Accountability for Loss to Chinese Taipei

Photo Source: FIBA

Head coach Tim Cone didn’t mince words following the national team’s shocking 91-84 defeat to Chinese Taipei on Thursday in the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers. The loss ended the Philippines’ 12-year winning streak against their opponents and left Gilas fans frustrated as Chinese Taipei executed a masterful game plan to secure a historic victory.

In the aftermath, Cone took full responsibility for the result, acknowledging that Gilas was not as prepared as they should have been.

“No one feels worse about this devastating loss than I do, and I take full ownership of it,” Cone wrote on social media. “We knew they were going to be much improved from the last time we played them, but they were even better than we thought. That’s on me. No doubt, I should have prepared us better.”

Despite entering the matchup as the favorites, Gilas struggled to contain Chinese Taipei’s offensive firepower, particularly from beyond the arc, where the home team shot 15-of-43 from three. The Filipinos made several comeback attempts, but each time they closed the gap, their opponents responded with timely baskets to maintain control.

Cone admitted there were adjustments he wished he could have made during the game but emphasized the need to look forward rather than dwell on what went wrong.

“There is obviously a lot that I would have done differently in that game if given another chance, but that is not possible now. The only thing we can do at this point is move on. I will be better. We will be better.”

The multi-time PBA champion coach also gave credit to Chinese Taipei for their composure under pressure.

“I thought Chinese Taipei was very impressive,” Cone said in his post-game remarks. “We made a couple of runs at them, we were hoping they’d crack, but they never did. They kept their composure, kept making big shots. I was very impressed by them and [they deserve to win.]”

The loss serves as a wake-up call for Gilas, who must regroup quickly with a key game ahead in the qualifiers against New Zealand. With Cone at the helm, the team will look to learn from this setback and come back stronger.