Gilas Pilipinas overcomes deficit to beat Vietnam, advances to SEA Games semis

Gilas Pilipinas secured an outright spot in the SEA Games men's basketball semifinals after defeating Vietnam, 78-67, in a come-from-behind victory.

The Philippine team fought back from a 14-point deficit, even trailing by as much as 41-27 in the second quarter, to sweep Group A and move within two wins of their 20th gold medal.

Poy Erram topscored for Gilas with 15 points, including a triple that capped a 9-0 run, while Robert Bolick added 13 points, 10 of which were in the fourth quarter.

Matthew Wright contributed 14 points and Jamie Malonzo had 10 points for the Nationals.

This victory marks the second consecutive game where Gilas Pilipinas had to overcome an initial deficit, a pattern that has become a cause for concern heading into the medal rounds.

Despite the victory, head coach Norman Black expressed concern over the team's slow starts and defensive struggles, which need to be fixed before the semifinals.

Vietnam, who placed third in Group A, will face the second-ranked team from Group B in the semifinals.