Gilas Pilipinas battled back from a huge deficit but eventually fell short against Estonia, 81-71, in a tune-up game at the Kalev Sports Hall in Tallinn on Tuesday.

It was the first tune-up game for the Philippine men's national basketball team in their training camp in Europe, where they are preparing for their campaign in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023.

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Gilas fell behind by as much as 22 points after a slow start. Estonia built a 29-14 lead after the opening quarter, pouncing on the Filipinos' foul-prone ways for free throws.

But a big third quarter allowed Gilas to close the gap, 64-59, giving them momentum heading into the final period. They were unable to overhaul the deficit, however, as Estonia held on for the win.

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Dwight Ramos was the only player in double-digits for Gilas, with 16 points on 5-of-15 shooting. Naturalized forward Justin Brownlee added eight points in a 20-minute stint. The Philippines shot 40% from the field, a shade better than Estonia's 39.7% shooting, but they were a paltry 5-of-17 from behind the arc.

Estonia also scored 21 points from Gilas' 23 turnovers.

Gilas will play tune-up games against Finland and Lithuania during their camp.