GILAS Pilipinas bounced back from its disappointing opening-day loss with a strong performance against Kazakhstan, 109-78, in the 2026 Asian Games men’s basketball tournament on Saturday in Japan.
Robert Bolick, Jerrick Ahanmisi and Sedrick Barefield responded after being held scoreless in the defeat to Bahrain, providing the offensive spark the Philippines needed against Kazakhstan.
Ahanmisi top-scored with 22 points, Bolick added 20 markers, while Barefield contributed 11 markers as Gilas improved to a 1-1 mark.
Gilas came out aggressively and opened the game with an 11-0 run to build an 18-5 lead. Kazakhstan managed to trim the deficit before the end of the opening period, but the Philippines still held an 18-15 advantage after the first quarter.
Bolick then caught fire in the second period as Gilas stretched its lead to 21 points. Kazakhstan refused to fold, however, and rallied to within six before the Philippines regained control.
The Filipinos pulled away again in the second half, with Barefield and Ahanmisi making key contributions to restore a 23-point cushion.
The victory allowed Gilas to recover quickly from its 89-85 defeat to Bahrain and improve its position in Group C. (Adrian Co)
