JEDDAH (Saudi Arabia) - It felt so surreal for Kevin Quiambao to have helped the Philippines achieve something that the country hasn't done for about eight years in the FIBA Asia Cup: reaching the Quarter-Finals, that is.
The young winger and Gilas on Monday night advanced to the 2025 games' final eight after eliminating Saudi Arabia, marking as well a solid turnaround for a team that started out with a twin of stinging defeats.
"Super surreal," he said after their 95-88 overtime victory witnessed by a big crowd at the King Abdullah Sports City. "I never thought we'd get to this point, considering that we didn't have an ideal start in the tournament."
"We struggled to figure things out in those losses, but the coaches kept on reminding us to always move on to the next," he added. "And being one of the younger guys in this team, I just try to always stay ready."
Quiambao couldn't be any prouder of the result as it was personal for him, too.
We will do it for the love of the game, and for the love of our country.
The 24-year-old had a chance to make it to the Quarter-Finals in his first Asia Cup in 2022 in Indonesia, but he and the Philippines succumbed to a 102-81 rout at the hands of Japan in the Qualification to Quarter-Finals.
Gilas finished that campaign with a 1-4 card, eventually ending up at ninth as the program spiraled down further after a seventh-place finish in 2017 - that, after consecutive silver-medal finishes in 2013 and 2015.
He's never one to dwell in the past but 'KQ' admitted that it left a bitter taste in his mouth.
"Well, 2022 is already in the past. But there remains a tinge of bitterness from that," the hooper from Muntinlupa said. "But I used that as a motivation for myself coming into this game, and coming into this tournament."
No wonder he played inspired basketball against the Saudis. Quiambao submitted one of his best showings of the tourney, dropping 17 points, spiked by three triples, on top of 3 rebounds and 3 assists in 31 minutes.
He was crucial most especially in extra time, which he opened with a triple to give themselves the lead for good at 82-79 before knocking down another one to widen the gap to 90-81 entering the last two minutes.
"I don’t think anything can top the sacrifices each of us has made here. We're now playing with just a ten-man personnel," said Quiambao as teammates Calvin Oftana and CJ Perez have been ruled out due to injuries.
"That's what Coach Tim Cone has always been emphasizing: the next-man-up mentality. And not look too far ahead, and simply play our own game; stick to our system - and the game, too," he added.
After Monday's thrilling encounter, Quiambao is now averaging 10.8 points on 53.3-percent shooting from the floor, including a near 37-percent clip from beyond the arc as his role in Gilas has significantly grown.
"As one of my mentors told me, there's always another level," he said of his improved scoring from the last Asia Cup where he normed 6.5 PPG. "If you tap into that, there's still one more level until you reach the apex."
"My dream is to reach that apex, and to be recognized here in the international scene as well," continued Quiambao, who's playing for the Goyang Sono Skygunners in the Korean Basketball League.
But more importantly, he can now move on as the ghost of Jakarta is all gone.
Quiambao and Team Philippines can celebrate their most recent win, which brought the program to the Asia Cup Quarter-Finals for the first time since the 2017 edition in Beirut, Lebanon which Australia won.
The Boomers are gunning for a rare 'three-peat' this year and interestingly, it would be Gilas whom the still-undefeated team will face in the Quarter-Finals as their bid for history shifts into higher gear.
Quiambao himself is very much aware of the daunting task that awaits him and his squad on Wednesday, but none from them are backing down as they all embrace the challenge of going up against one of the world's best.
"Powerhouse team, a lot of NBA players, a lot of NBL stars. But we will do our best," he said. "Whatever we can improve on from this game, we will work on it. We do not want to come into the next game with any fear."
"We will do it for the love of the game, and for the love of our country," he closed.
FIBA