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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Basketball devider Bolick takes charge as Gilas saves some blushes against Vietnam

Bolick takes charge as Gilas saves some blushes against Vietnam

Published Dec 15, 2025 03:29 pm

At A Glance

  • BANGKOK — Robert Bolick saved Gilas Pilipinas some blushes and buried two clutch three-pointers in the final frame to shake off a pesky Vietnam team, 78-67, and claim an outright semifinals spot in the 33rd Southeast Asian Games at the Nimibutr Arena on Monday, Dec. 15 here.
BANGKOK — Robert Bolick saved Gilas Pilipinas some blushes and buried two clutch three-pointers in the final frame to shake off a pesky Vietnam team, 78-67, and claim an outright semifinals spot in the 33rd Southeast Asian Games at the Nimibutr Arena on Monday, Dec. 15 here.
The NLEX star guard fired 10 of his 13 points in the fourth quarter — none bigger than the two triples to open the payoff period — giving the Nationals the much-needed separation to complete a sweep of the group stage.
With the win, Gilas finished with a 2-0 record to top Group A and directly advance to the semifinals where they will take on the winner of the match between Vietnam and either Indonesia or Singapore.
JP Erram topscored for the Filipinos with 15 points while Matthew Wright chipped in 14 to keep Gilas, which trailed by as many as 14 in the first half, stay within striking distance.
“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, something we have to try to fix in the next couple of days in practice,” he added.
Black admitted that the recent struggles of Gilas was more of a chemistry concern especially with the limited time together – something they can address now that they have a few days to practice.
“Every game is going to be a concern. I'm just looking forward to the next couple of days because we get a chance to practice. And we can work on some of the things that we've been struggling with here so far,” added Black.
Dang Kroa Tran and Huynh Phu Vinh Nguyen led the charge for the upset-conscious Vietnamese, finishing with 19 points apiece.
Nguyen had 12 rebounds to his name while Tran had three triples — a huge factor in the Vietnamese splendid start to the contest.
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