SEA Games 2023 men's basketball: Gilas Pilipinas dominate Singapore 105-45 to advance to semifinals
Thanks to the inspiring performances of Marcio Lassiter and CJ Perez, the Philippines team topped their group and avenged their defeat against Cambodia. Check out what happened in our report.
Basketball
The Philippines men’s basketball team bounced back from their shock 79-68 loss to Cambodia with a convincing 105-45 win over Singapore, securing their spot in the semifinals of the 2023 SEA Games on Saturday (13 May).
At the Morodok Techno National Stadium in Phnom Penh, Gilas Pilipinas were determined to end the group phase on a winning note and Chot Reyes' team dominated the court from the start as they jumped ahead 21-0.
Philippines' sharpshooter Marcio Lassiter had an impressive performance, scoring 16 points, including four three-pointers on seven attempts. CJ Perez also put on a strong display, with 13 points and 11 rebounds, while Justin Brownlee added 12 points, six rebounds, and eight assists.
Although Singapore tried to put up a fight, their efforts were no match for the dominant play of Gilas Pilipinas. Ng led the way for the Singaporeans with 10 points, but it was not enough to keep them in touch.
"It was a good game, Singapore obviously tried to give us a fight but we did what we needed to do and now we're looking ahead to the next game," said Brownlee, who was among the players struggling with heat and hydration during their defeat to Cambodia.
"It was nothing, just the heat. Something we needed to get over and as you saw today it's all good," added the US-born player to Olympics.com.
With this win, the Philippines secured their place in the semifinals where they will face either Thailand or defending champions Indonesia on Monday (15 May).
"They're both good teams so it really doesn't matter whom we meet, we're just focusing on ourselves and we've got to be ready. It's going to be a great match for sure," concluded Brownlee.
Schedule for Philippines men's basketball team at SEA Games 2023
All local ICT times.
Group A preliminary rounds
- Tuesday 9 May - Philippines 94-49 Malaysia
- Thursday 11 May - Philippines 68-79 Cambodia
- Saturday 13 May - Singapore 105-45 Philippines
**Knockout phase and medal rounds **
Monday 15 May - Semi-finals:
- 13:00 - Men’s semi-final 1
- 17:00 - Men’s semi-final 2
Tuesday 16 May - Ranking matches
- 09:00 - 7th and 8th placings
- 11:00 - 5th and 6th placings
- 13:00 - Bronze play-off
- 15:00 - Final
Where to watch Gilas Pilipinas at SEA Games 2023
The host broadcaster in Cambodia is Cambodia Sports Television (CSTV).
The SEA Games in Singapore is available to watch on their dedicated mewatch channels.
In Thailand, SEA Games coverage is via the TV Pool 3HD, 5HD, 7HD, MCOT HD, NBT2HD, GMM25, PPTV HD and T Sports.