Gilas' Win Over Jordan Marred by Tamayo Injury Concern

Gilas Pilipinas walked out of a nail-biter with an 82–81 win over Jordan to open the second round of the 2027 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers, but the mood in the locker room was far from celebratory.

All eyes were on Carl Tamayo.

The 6-foot-8 forward crumpled to the floor at the 7:58 mark of the third quarter after landing on the foot of a Jordanian defender. He grimaced, grabbed at his ankle, then forced himself up and headed straight to the Gilas bench without even a glance at the basket he had just been attacking.

He never checked back in.

Up to that point, Tamayo had been quietly carving out a strong night. Eight points on the board, confidence flowing, capped by a buzzer-beating three to close the first half that sent the Gilas crowd into a roar. It looked like the prelude to a breakout performance on the big stage.

One bad landing changed the script.

The game itself turned into a late-game thriller, with CJ Perez, Kevin Quiambao and Kai Sotto dragging Gilas over the line in the closing minutes. Perez attacked relentlessly. Quiambao made big plays under pressure. Sotto held his nerve when it mattered most. The final buzzer confirmed a dramatic one-point escape, but the celebration carried an uneasy edge.

On the sideline, Tamayo sat with his ankle swelling, the initial diagnosis already clear.

“Right now, he can walk. But beyond that, it’s swollen. It’s a sprained ankle,” head coach Tim Cone said in the post-game press conference. “We’ll give him the treatment tonight, and tomorrow and we’ll see how he is at that point.”

The timing could hardly be worse. Gilas faces Iran on Sunday, a physical Team Melli side that will test every inch of the Filipino frontcourt. Tamayo’s versatility, floor spacing, and size had been penciled in as a key part of that plan.

Now, everything hinges on how that ankle responds over the next 48 hours.

Cone, though, made it clear the team is not without options if the 25-year-old cannot suit up. Reserves Justin Arana and RJ Abarrientos, the final cuts from the main lineup, remain on standby.

“In the meantime, we still have RJ and Justin on the list,” Cone said. “Those two guys could fill in for Carl, if necessary. Hopefully, it won’t be necessary.”

That last line hung in the air.

Gilas escaped Jordan. The next battle, against the clock and the swelling in Tamayo’s ankle, may be just as tense as any one-point game.