After some tense moments against Indonesia, Gilas Pilipinas ultimately escaped, and now it’s one win away from wresting that South gold medal in the 5×5 mens’s basketball tournament of the 33rd Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) in Thailand—even after all the pre-tournament adversity the team had to deal with.
But as Gilas Pilipinas goes for that gold, one thing is abundantly clear: It needs to start better. Much better. It needs to avoid falling behind early and into a hole as it did against Vietnam and Indonesia. It cannot risk another double-digit disadvantage—not against the hosts, Thailand.
Indeed, a strong start is non-negotiable. Unfortunately, this Norman Black-helmed Gilas has not had a strong start in its three games so far in these SEA Games. It has, in fact, lost the first quarter in each of its three games. This simply cannot happen against Thailand. Slow openings allow underdogs to believe. Belief turns into confidence, confidence into momentum. Then, before you know it, the game will turn into a grind, an all-out war of attrition. Thailand will enter the final loose and fearless, with nothing to lose. Give that team an early window, and it could be a problem.
Gilas Must Win by Blowout, If Possible
A strong start is just one part of the equation. Gilas needs to start strong and ride that early wave to build a sizable lead—in the 20s, preferably. The bigger the lead, the better. Building a big lead dampens confidence, and pushing that lead to the 20s and 30s destroys belief. A sizable cushion could be all it takes to make Thailand quit, to take the fight away from the hosts.
Besides, Gilas showed against Indonesia that no lead is safe. Up 16 with under four minutes left, 70-54, Black’s boys froze, played not to lose, and as a result surrendered a 14-0 run in the final three minutes that put the Indonesians in a position to steal the game in the end. Gilas escaped, all right, but it might not be as lucky if that happens again against Thailand in a showdown for all the marbles.
Put simply, a blowout protects Gilas from itself. Late-game pressure often magnifies execution flaws and mental lapses, and that was apparent against Indonesia. Put the game away early, and you remove variance, nerves, and the possibility of a freak finish.
Moreover, a big lead would make a bad whistle moot. Not to accuse the Thais of anything sinister, but hometown calls will certainly be at play here, and a little home cooking might be expected. There’s already been, shall we say, some controversial officiating across sports, and it would be fair to assume that between the Philippines and the hosts, it will be the latter that will get the benefit of the—ahem!—doubt 11 times out of 10.
Erase Doubts, Allay Fears—For Now
There is also a broader context in all this. Every Gilas performance at whatever stage is a referendum on the state of Philippine basketball. Close calls against teams the country is expected to beat fuel uncomfortable questions about preparation, development, and direction. A decisive win, on the other hand, reinforces the idea that Gilas belongs at a higher competitive tier in the region. That, aside from SEA Games gold, is as much at stake against Thailand.
Certainly, gold is the minimum requirement at this level. That gold is the Philippines’ birthright, having won 19 of the 22 stagings of the 5×5 tournament. But how Gilas gets that gold matters just the same. A fast start and a commanding win would not just secure the medal—it would reaffirm identity, restore confidence, and remind everyone that when Gilas is locked in, there are levels to this game.
The gold-medal match between Gilas and Thailand will take place later today, December 19, 2025, at 8:00 p.m. (PHL time) at Nimibutr Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. It will be livestreamed in the One Sports YouTube channel.
