Gilas scores comeback win over Vietnam to punch SEAG semis ticket

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

The Gilas Pilipinas Men’s National Basketball Team bucked a sloppy start to frustrate Vietnam, 78-67, and formalized a semifinal qualification in the ongoing 33rd Southeast Asian Games on Dec. 15, 2025, at the Nimibutr Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

For the second consecutive game, the Filipinos endured a slow start and had to rally their way out of a deficit in the final 20 minutes of the ball game.

Down by as much as 14 points midway through the second quarter, Gilas began its come-from-behind effort after minimizing its turnovers — the first adjustment they made to shrug off the jitters they admitted to having since their dub over Malaysia.

Once Gilas settled in, everything just clicked after the hoopers got out of their locker room to begin the second half.

Although Vietnam still had a slim one-point lead at the start of the fourth, Gilas had already figured out the defensive adjustment that changed the complexion of the game.

Head coach Norman Black emphasized Gilas’ need to gang rebound and double their help effort on the baseline due to their lack of size — and that’s exactly what they did to turn the tables, unleashing a massive 10-0 run that stunned Vietnam in the fourth.

In the first seven minutes of the fourth, Gilas limited Vietnam to just a deuce, displaying a collective defensive coverage highlighted by better reads in the pick-and-pop — with a little bit of luck due to the challenger’s cold shooting.

Providing the much-needed hits during the pivotal fourth-quarter blitz were Robert Bolick and Poy Erram, who drained huge three-pointers that put Gilas ahead for good.

Sealing the deal for Gilas’ semifinal berth was Jamie Malonzo, who dropped four points in the most crucial stretch off a perfect trip to the free-throw line and a layup.

Erram gave his all during the win, spearheading Gilas’ second SEA Games victory with 15 points, five rebounds, two steals, and a block.

Matthew Wright finally regained his stroke for Gilas, chipping in 14 markers built from four threes, while Bolick added 13 points, six boards, and four dimes.

Now that Gilas has secured a semis spot on Dec. 18, the team will finally have much-needed time to recover and polish its sets when it returns to practice.