THE Gilas Pilipinas men’s basketball team kept it going in the 19th Asian Games, as they defeated Thailand, 87-72, in the preliminary stage of Group C on Thursday, Sept. 28, 2023, at the ZJU Gymnasium.
Naturalized Filipino Justin Brownlee came up big for the Philippines, registering a double-double of 22 points and 12 rebounds. CJ Perez added 16 points and seven rebounds.
However, the Gilas had to hold steady in the fourth as Thailand cut their 21-point lead down to just five, 68-63. Brownlee and Ange Kouame then stepped up to put out the fire and restore order for the Nationals to help them emerge victorious.
Tyler Lamb had 29 points, but it wasn’t enough to keep Thailand from losing its second game in a row.
Up next for the Gilas is Jordan, which it faces on Saturday, Sept. 30. / JNP
