Gilas Pilipinas Men clinched a spot in the main draw after a 17-15 win over regional rival Thailand, 17-15, on Thursday in the FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup 2026 at The Kallang in Singapore.

Ralph Cu lit it up with back-to-back twos during a 5-0 blast that turned a 9-5 lead to a 14-5 advantage. Jerrick Ahanmisi also knocked down a two to make it a 17-13 lead after a 4-0 Thailand run.

Gilas 3x3 survived a couple of turnovers in the final moments with Freddie Lish missing a two-point shot in the final possession of the game.

Chris Koon and Sean Alter also got the Philippines to a strong start to get a 4-1 lead to set the tone as Gilas Men made it to Pool A at the expense of the reigning Southeast Asian Games gold medalist.

The Filipino ballers completed the sweep of the qualifying draw as they also defeated Maldives, 21-16, earlier in the day. Thailand defeated Maldives, 21-11, setting up the all-important showdown with the Philippines for a place in Pool A.

The Philippines joins top-seed Mongolia and Chinese Taipei in Pool A, whose competitions begin Saturday.