The Boomers have looked unstoppable so far at the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup, and they're not planning on slowing down anytime soon.
Sitting undefeated in the tournament, Australia also carries a remarkable streak stretching back to their debut in 2017: they've never dropped a single game in the Cup.
Their next challenge? The quarterfinals round against the Philippines (Gilas Pilipinas).
Challenge is set 🏀
The Boomers will face Phillipines in a QF on Wednesday, 9:00pm AEST at @FIBAAsiaCup https://t.co/fq49eVUl3m#WeAreBasketball | #GoBoomers | #AsiaCup pic.twitter.com/BNTp47nBCA
— Basketball Australia (@BasketballAus) August 11, 2025
Australia's perfect run
Since the opening tip, the Boomers have been in full command, delivering a 97-61 win over South Korea to kick off the series. This was fuelled by a scorching 62 per cent accuracy from beyond the arc in the first half alone.
This momentum carried over into their next game against Lebanon. The 93-80 win took place after Australia charged out to a 20-4 lead in the first quarter, and an 18-point advantage into the half at 58-38.
The Australian Boomers made it 2 from 2 after beating Lebanon 93-80 at the FIBA Asia Cup🇦🇺🏀✌️
Jaylin Galloway and Reyne Smith delivered 18 points each in the win🔥#AussieHoops #AsiaCup #GoBoomers pic.twitter.com/J5aQlsh6BT— The Pick and Roll 🇦🇺🏀 (@PickandRollAU) August 9, 2025
Such dominance stems from an offence that can heat up quickly.
To get to this point, Australia accumulated 613 points across six qualifying games, while their defence kept opponents to a total of 367 points.
Gilas Pilipinas: Resilient and Ready
The Philippines' path to this showdown has been a test of endurance.
They opened with a 95–87 loss to Chinese Taipei, then fell again in a hard-fought 94–86 defeat to New Zealand, putting their tournament hopes on the line.
With no margin for error, they responded in their final game with a 66-57 win over Iraq.
JUST IN 🏀 Basketball | Congratulations to Gilas Pilipinas 🇵🇭 after defeating Iraq 🇮🇶 in Group D today, 66-57, at the FIBA Asia Cup 2025. They now advance to the next round!!!#TeamPhilippines#SSN #SEASportsNews
📸 FIBA pic.twitter.com/SAC6acUrkv— SEA Sports News (@sea_sports_news) August 9, 2025
Even so, their offensive struggles were evident, with few clean looks at the basket. On the other end, they were stung from deep, allowing Iraq to hit 46.2 per cent of their threes (6 of 13) in the first half.
However, that win kept their Asia Cup run alive and secured a place in the knockout stage, proving that even after consecutive setbacks, Gilas still had the fight to survive.
More than just a quarterfinal
The stakes are simple: a win for Australia books them a spot in the semifinals and keeps the dream of back-to-back Asia Cup titles. A loss would not only end their unbeaten run, but would rewrite the story of the tournament.
For Gilas, this is more about advancing. It's about proving they can stand toe to toe with one of the world's most consistent basketball teams.
The tip-off is set for 9pm (AEST) on August 13.
