Kevin Quiambao found himself on familiar ground Friday night and delivered when Gilas Pilipinas needed him most.
The former La Salle standout hit a crucial 3-pointer with 11.7 seconds left in overtime as the Philippines escaped Jordan, 82-81, in the second round of the 2027 Fiba World Cup Asian Qualifiers at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.
With Gilas holding a slim lead late in overtime, CJ Perez drove into the lane and found an open Quiambao, who knocked down the triple for an 82-79 advantage.
Quiambao finished with 14 points, five rebounds and two assists despite shooting 5 of 12 from the field.
The big shot came at a venue where Quiambao has spent much of his basketball career.
‘Since high school, I’ve been here,’ Quiambao said. ‘When I was in NU, I got to play here in MOA. Since then, I just give my best here every single day, practice and game here in MOA.’
‘I can’t say much about the familiarity, but when I’m here, I just let it fly.’
Quiambao later starred for La Salle in the UAAP before moving to the Korean Basketball League, where he plays for the Goyang Sono Skygunners.
The victory was also significant for a Gilas squad playing without naturalized forward Justin Brownlee, who missed the qualifiers’ second window while recovering from nagging lower-body injuries.
‘Of course, it would’ve been better if JB were here, right?’ Quiambao said.
‘Still, we were all-Filipino. We wanted to prove that we can win with this team.’
Gilas faced another setback when Carl Tamayo suffered a high ankle sprain in the third quarter against Jordan.
With Brownlee unavailable and Tamayo sidelined, Quiambao helped fill the void.
And when Gilas needed a basket late, the former Green Archer delivered on a court he knows well.