Gilas Pilipinas and Thailand renew their basketball rivalry as they square off in the finals of the SEA Games 2025 men’s 5x5 basketball Friday, Dec. 19.
A familiar rivalry takes center stage as Gilas Pilipinas battle Thailand in the SEA Games 2025 men’s basketball finals Friday, Dec. 19.
Match tips off at 8:00 p.m. (Manila time) at the Nimibutr Stadium in Thailand.
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The gold medal matchup rekindles memories of the 2019 edition of the biennial meet, when the Philippines, playing on home soil, cruised past Thailand to impose regional supremacy.
This time, however, the host nation is eager to flip the script and chase its first-ever gold in the event.
[WATCH: SEA GAMES LIVESTREAM: Philippines vs Thailand | Men's Basketball Finals]
Gilas punched its ticket to the finals with a gritty 71-68 win over Indonesia, overcoming yet another sluggish start.
The Nationals fell behind 15-27 after the opening period before responding with an inspired second-quarter surge, outscoring Indonesia 18-7 to regain control.
[RELATED STORY: Gilas Pilipinas, Thailand battle for basketball supremacy in SEA Games finals]
Indonesia mounted a late scare with a 14-0 run, trimming the lead to 68-70, but Gilas stood its ground.
A forced shot clock violation followed by Robert Bolick’s split at the line proved decisive.
Thirdy Ravena led the way with 16 points, complemented by six rebounds, two assists and a steal.
Jamie Malonzo made his mark defensively, tallying a game-high five steals and a block to go with 13 markers and three boards.
[RELATED STORY: SEA Games: Thirdy Ravena lauds Jamie Malonzo in Gilas' win vs Indonesia]
Ray Parks Jr. added 12 points and seven rebounds, while Bolick contributed 10 markers including the game-sealing free throw in the final seconds and six boards.
Thailand also enters the finals with momentum of its own after dismantling Malaysia, 86-55, in the penultimate round.
(With reports from Jan Ballesteros)
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[Editor’s note: This article was written by a member of One Sports Digital with the help of AI and reviewed by editorial staff for accuracy.]