Robert Bolick and Poy Erram came through in the clutch as Gilas Pilipinas overcame a slow start to defeat Vietnam, 78-67, securing an outright spot in the semifinals of the 33rd Southeast Asian Games on Monday at Nimibutr Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Trailing by 14 points in the second quarter, the Philippines displayed championship composure and experience down the stretch, relying on consecutive three-pointers from Bolick and Erram to complete a sweep of its Group A games.
Gilas opened its title-defense campaign with a 25-point rout of Malaysia before handling Vietnam, marking the Philippines’ fourth consecutive SEA Games win over the Vietnamese squad.
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“It was a hard-earned win. It was a very difficult game for us. I give credit to the Vietnamese team for playing as well as they did,” said Gilas head coach Norman Black.
“We struggled defensively again today, so that’s something we have to fix over the next couple of days in practice.”
Vietnam briefly took a 62-61 lead to start the fourth quarter, but Bolick responded with back-to-back triples. Erram’s own three-pointer then gave the Philippines a crucial 70-62 advantage with 3:08 remaining.
Bolick and Jamie Malonzo later teamed up to seal the victory. Malonzo sparked a critical four-point run with a layup and two free throws to keep Vietnam at bay, 74-67, while Bolick closed out the game with four free throws to secure the 78-67 comeback win.
With the hard-fought triumph, the Philippines will face the winner of the quarterfinal clash between the second-ranked Group B team and the third-ranked Group A team in the crossover semifinals this Thursday, December 18, at the same venue.
“Every game is a concern for us at this point. Basically, we’re learning and trying to improve on the court throughout the tournament. Vietnam played really well today. They shot the ball well in the first half and their defense was solid,” Black added.
“But fortunately, our guys made the big plays in the fourth quarter, and we were able to get this win to move forward.”
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Erram led Gilas in scoring with 15 points, five rebounds, two steals, one block, and one assist. Meanwhile, Matthew Wright added 14 points, including four triples, along with three rebounds, three assists, and one steal.
Bolick finished with 13 points, six rebounds, four assists, and one block, while Malonzo nearly posted a double-double with 10 points and eight rebounds, plus two assists.
Bobby Ray Parks Jr. found himself limited to six points on 1-of-9 shooting. Still, he contributed eight rebounds, three assists, three steals, and one block in 35 minutes and 53 seconds of action.
Meanwhile, Vietnam, finishing third in Group A, will face either host Thailand, Indonesia, or Singapore from Group B in the quarterfinals on Wednesday, December 17.
Huynh Phu Vinh Nguyen led the Vietnamese with 19 points, 12 rebounds, and two steals. Dang Khoa Tran also scored 19 points with four rebounds, four assists, and two steals.
The Scores:
Philippines (78) – Erram 15, Wright 14, Bolick 13, Malonzo 10, Panopio 7, Parks 6, Ravena 5, Manzano 4, Chua 4, Tratter 0, Pessumal 0.
Vietnam (67) – H. Nguyen 19, Tran 19, Vo 8, Dierker 8, Dang 4, Huynh 3, Young 2, A. Nguyen 2, Dinh 2, Du 0.
Quarterscores: 16-21, 37-41, 61-60, 78-67.
