Mike Phillips a silver lining for Gilas in loss to Australia

FILE–Gilas Pilipinas’ Mike Phillips during a game against New Zealand in the Fiba World Cup Asian Qualifiers.–FIBA PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—There weren’t a lot of positive takeaways in Gilas Pilipinas’ lopsided loss to Australia in the 2027 Fiba World Cup Asian Qualifiers.

But there was an obvious one that coach Tim Cone couldn’t help but rave about.

Mike Phillips earned the moniker “Motor Mike” while helping La Salle win a pair of UAAP championships. Cone and Gilas saw firsthand why.

READ: Gilas ‘kind of lost heart’ in 2nd half vs Australia, says Cone

“His nickname is ‘Motor Mike’ and there’s a reason for that,” Cone said after their 92-49 loss to the Boomers on Monday night in Perth. “He plays with such a tremendous motor and he’s all over the floor.”

“He was one of the bright lights for us tonight. He was doing great, especially in the first half. He was rebounding the heck out of the ball.”

The 6-foot-8 Phillips hauled down a game-high 14 rebounds against a rugged Australian side. He also chipped in six points, highlighted by a pair of emphatic dunks.

Unfortunately for Gilas and Phillips, the athletic forward couldn’t finish the game due to cramps.

READ: ‘Motor Mike’ in maiden Fiba tournament with Gilas

“He got hurt in one of our friendlies coming to this game, so he’s playing with a gimpy ankle, and then he got hit by cramps late in the game, so we couldn’t keep him on the floor.”

Even with a forgettable final window in the qualifiers where Gilas lost both their games to New Zealand and Australia, Phillips became a silver lining that fans can expect to see more in the next phase.

“I think that’s just something that our fans are going to really appreciate as we move forward, watching him play with that kind of effort, and then watching the other guys get infected by it and continuing to play.”