Gilas Pilipinas men rally past Thailand to win SEA Games gold anew

Amid eligibility confusions, poor starts and perceptions of playing through unfavorable conditions, Gilas Pilipinas got the job done here. Coach Norman Black, Jamie Malonzo (198-F-1996), Robert Bolick (185-G-1995), Matthew Wright (193-G-1991, college: St.Bonaventure) and the rest of the hastily-formed Gilas squad retained the gold on Friday behind another comeback to beat host Thailand, 70-64, before a packed crowd at Nimibutr Stadium. Down 13 points multiple times in the second quarter, Gilas rode on Bolick’s shots to slow trim down the gap before going full stream after the break to take control of the contest that eventually kept the Philippines’ dominance in the sport that matters back home. Malonzo capped off a tournament that may have helped regain shattered confidence with 17 points and 12 rebounds while fellow free agent Matthew Wright and Robert Bolick were also huge in the emotional win to give Team Philippines what would likely be its final gold in the Games. Gilas gave the country its 50th gold, moments after its women’s counterpart also edged Thailand in a thriller for the women’s gold. Bolick didn’t sugarcoat things when Gilas clinched the gold. “They thought it would be easy for them with the lineup that we have,” Bolick said. “But we were ready.” Gilas ruled the competition despite coming into the Games reeling from an eligibility change, with the host eventually deciding that it would not allow naturalized players or those who didn’t meet Fiba’s guidelines for securing passports before the age of 16. Black eventually got Bolick, among the five PBA players tapped at the last minute, Malonzo and and even Cedrick Manzano from the UAAP, beginning a whirly-derby preparations through to one comeback win after another. And in the final, Gilas had to overcome a big start by Thailand, which was led by Chanato Jakwaran and Emmanuel Ejesu (203-C-2004), and it appeared that the hosts were in control. But Bolick shrugged off getting hit in the face, making some shots that cut the deficit to 38-29 at the break before joining Malonzo and Wright in a huge comeback trail. Wright finished with 14 points while Bolick had 10 for Gilas.
Courtesy of: sports.inquirer.net