Bangkok: Gilas Pilipinas survived the upset axe wielded by a vastly-improved Vietnam side, scoring a 78-67 win to secure a semifinals berth in the men's basketball competition of the 33rd Southeast Asian Games on Monday here.
According to Philippines News Agency, Robert Bolick scored 10 of his 13 points in the fourth quarter, highlighted by back-to-back triples, that helped Gilas create separation from the pesky Vietnamese side and seal top spot in Group A with a 2-0 record at the Nimibutr Stadium.
"It was a hard-earned win," coach Norman Black, whose charges rallied from a 14-point deficit in the second quarter, said. "It was a difficult game for us and the Vietnamese team played as well as they did."
Black acknowledged defensive struggles that need addressing before the semifinals. His team will face either Vietnam, which placed third in Group A at 0-2, or the second placer in Group B. The group winners advance to the semis while the second and third placers meet in a crossover quarterfinal to determine the two other seats in the final four.
Group B comprises host Thailand, on top at 2-0, Indonesia (1-1), Singapore (1-1), and Myanmar (0-2). At press time, Thailand was facing Myanmar while Singapore and Indonesia were squaring off.
Malaysia, which Gilas defeated by way of an 83-58 rout the previous day, placed second in Group A at 1-1 while Vietnam dropped all two matches after coming close to scoring a huge upset over the Philippine squad.
Vietnam's American coach Matt Van Pelt noted the importance of scouting, saying, "I watched the game between the Philippines and Malaysia, but it was more about knowing the players and knowing their plays. So we had a scouting report, showing the guys on film of all 12 players."
Bolick made two triples followed by one three from Poy Erram during a stretch that allowed Gilas to turn a 62-61 deficit, 7:58 left, into a 70-62 lead, time down to 3:07 in the contest. Erram topscored with 15 points on top of five rebounds, Matthew Wright added 14 points on 5-of-11 shooting, while Jamie Malonzo added 10 points and eight rebounds.
Bolick was scoreless during the first half, which saw Vietnam pose significant challenges for the Philippines. Vietnam's Khoa Tran and Huynh Phu Vinh Nguyen each scored 19 points, with Nguyen also grabbing 12 rebounds. Tran knocked down all of his three triples in the second quarter, during which Vietnam took a 41-27 lead with 2:43 left in the period.
