Gilas Pilipinas Men 3x3 opened their SEA Games 2025 campaign in Thailand with a pair of victories over Vietnam and Malaysia in Group B play.
Gilas Pilipinas Men 3x3 kicked off their redemption arc at the 33rd Southeast Asian Games with consecutive victories in group play on Wednesday, December 10.
For their first game at the Nimibutr Stadium in Bangkok, the Nationals trailed 6–11 with five minutes remaining but mounted a 15–4 finishing run to complete a gritty comeback against Vietnam.
“We feel great about this win, but we don’t have to be complacent because more games are coming,” said big man Ange Kouame during the post-game interview with Cignal.
Indeed, Kouame and co. had to once again dig deep, needing Joseph Sedurifa's late-game heroics to secure a thrilling 21-19 win against Malaysia in their next game of the day to move to 2–0 in Group B.
With the game tied at 19, Sedurifa nailed a tough contested two-pointer to seal a pulsating win for the Philippines.
"In-emphasize ng mga coaches namin is [to play] defense. We keep on defending kahit anong mangyari in order to win," Sedurifa told Cignal.
And so they did, as Gilas 3x3 will now close out the group stage against Laos on Thursday, December 11, at 12:00 p.m. The Philippines will aim for a pool sweep before advancing to the knockout crossover semifinals.
With their eyes on the prize, Gilas Men 3x3 are determined to reclaim the gold medal after finishing second to Cambodia in the 2023 edition.
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Pao Ambat earned his journalism degree from Cavite State University in 2022.
Passionate about sports from a young age, he primarily covers the NBA for One Sports, while also assisting in reporting on the PVL, PBA, UAAP, and other leagues.