Gilas Pilipinas Men's 3x3 completed a perfect 2-0 sweep in the qualifiers to secure a spot in the main draw of the FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup 2026, capping its run with a gritty 17-15 escape over Thailand on Thursday in Singapore.
The Filipinos were seemingly heading towards a comfortable finish after building a 15-9 lead with just three minutes remaining, but the Thais stormed back to cut the deficit to two and threaten a late steal.
That's when Jerrick Ahanmisi stepped up, burying a clutch two-pointer with just over a minute left to put the game out of reach and preserve the unbeaten run.
Earlier, the Philippines opened its campaign with a 21-16 win over Maldives, leaning on a dominant showing from Sean Alter.
The 6-foot-8 forward poured in 11 points, controlling the paint and anchoring a key 7-0 run that turned a 11-9 deficit into a 16-11 advantage. Despite early miscues in his 3x3 debut, Alter imposed his size and presence when it mattered most.
Ahanmisi also delivered in the opener, knocking down the game-sealing fadeaway with 1:47 remaining to complete the win and set the tone for Gilas Men's strong start.
With back-to-back victories, Gilas advances to Pool A of the main draw, where it will face Mongolia and Chinese Taipei on Saturday.
