Gilas Pilipinas defended its men’s basketball title in the Southeast Asian Games after beating Thailand, 70–64, on Friday at the Nimibutr Stadium in Bangkok.
The Philippines had a slow start and trailed by as many as 13 points in the first half. Thailand led 32–19 before Gilas slowly fought back. At halftime, the Filipinos were still behind, 38–29.
Gilas came alive in the third quarter. Matthew Wright hit a three-pointer to tie the game at 41-all. From there, the Philippines gained confidence and took control. Jamie Malonzo scored on a fast layup to give Gilas a 12-point lead, 67–55, with a little over four minutes left.
Thailand refused to give up and went on a late run to cut the lead to four points, 68–64, with less than a minute remaining. The game became tense after missed shots and turnovers from both teams.
In the final moments, Robert Bolick was fouled and calmly made both free throws to seal the win. Thailand missed a last three-point attempt.
Malonzo led Gilas with 17 points and 12 rebounds. Wright added 14 points, while Bolick finished with 10. This win marked the Philippines’ 20th men’s basketball title in the SEA Games.
