The Philippines is once again the hoops king of 5×5 basketball in Southeast Asia (SEA) after Gilas Pilipinas, starring Jamie Malonzo, rallied to beat Thailand, 70–64, in the SEA Games 5×5 gold-medal match on Friday night at Nimibutr Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Gilas made the first basket of the game—a corner triple from Matthew Wright—and went up 6–2 early, fanning hopes of a good start this time around. But Thailand steadily seized control, getting to the line 10 times in the first quarter alone.
Thailand continued to build its lead in the second quarter with some nifty inside play from its big men—Emmanuel Ejesu and Jakrawan Chananatip—coupled with Gilas struggling to find the bottom of the net. Unlike in its previous games, Gilas couldn’t end the first half with a big run and entered intermission down, 38–29.
Jamie Malonzo Takes Over for Gilas
With Gilas in need of a spark, it was Jamie Malonzo who stepped up to the plate. Malonzo was all over the court in the third quarter, hitting threes, getting to the basket, and making big play after big play, even on the defensive end. Gilas tied things up at 41 in the first half of the third quarter, with Malonzo providing the energy and hustle on both offense and defense.
The nationals finally nudged ahead, 44–41, on a straightaway triple from Ray Parks Jr., much to the delight of the Filipino fans who came to watch the final live.
Gilas Hangs On for Golden Conquest
After trading baskets and stops with Thailand to begin the fourth quarter, Gilas scored 13 unanswered points to turn a 55–54 deficit into a 67–55 advantage past the halfway mark of the payoff period. Thailand, though, mounted a last-gasp run to cut the lead to 68–64 with under a minute left. But the Gilas defense held firm to finish off the Philippines’ golden conquest.
Malonzo was the star of stars for Gilas in the gold-medal match, firing all of his 17 points in the second half and grabbing 12 big rebounds. He also had three assists and five steals. Matthew Wright added 14 points on three triples, while Robert Bolick chipped in 10.
Ejesu and Chananatip led Thailand with 13 points apiece.
