GILAS Pilipinas opens its bid to regain the gold in the Southeast Asian Games against Malaysia right on the opening day of basketball competitions in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
The Filipinos tangle with the Malaysians on May 9 to kickoff action in the men's 5-on-5 tournament.
Along with Malaysia, also bracketed with the Philippines in Group A are Singapore and Cambodia.
Defending champion Indonesia on the other hand, leads Group B together with Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos.
After a day's rest, Gilas resumes its campaign on the 11th against the host country, before capping the group stage with a game against Singapore on the 13th.
Sponsored content: The top two teams in each group advance to the crossover semis on the 15th, with the winners disputing the gold the following day.
The format for this year's edition was different from the 2022 SEA Games in Hanoi where the top two teams after the single round eliminations battled for the gold.
Gilas yielded the championship to Indonesia last year, 85-81, marking only the second time the Philippines lost the cage gold since it started competing in the biennial showcase in 1977. (RG)
