Gilas Pilipinas are halfway to the gold medal in the 31st Southeast Asian Games after an 88-37 drubbing of Singapore on Wednesday in Hanoi.
The win improves Gilas' record to 3-0, with hosts Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia the only teams standing between them and a 14th straight gold medal in the event.
This game was perhaps Gilas' best showing so far, even better than their 68-point win over Cambodia Tuesday night, since Singapore isn't exactly a doormat in Southeast Asian basketball.
It also gives the team momentum heading into their Thursday night class against the hosts in front of what is expected to be a raucous home crowd.
Here are some thoughts on the win:
1. Gilas catches Singapore at the right time
Singapore were playing less than 24 hours after a deflating loss to hosts Vietnam Tuesday night, where they squandered a 10-point lead in the second half to lose by three.
They started out flat, missing their first 9 shots and turning the ball over nine times in the first quarter. That pretty much set the tone for the rest of the game.
Their 37-point total was just five more than what Cambodia put up against the same team. They shot 28% from the field and made just two of 20 3-point attempts.
No player scored more than eight points, and the starters combined for just 13. Singapore finished fourth in the 2017 edition of the SEA Games -- even giving Gilas a scare in the semifinals -- but dropped to fifth in 2019.
2. Watch out for Indonesia
Wednesday's big result saw Indonesia shocking Thailand, 78-75, to deal the Thais a massive blow in their bid for at least a silver medal finish. It was considered an upset because Indonesia struggled past Malaysia, which lost to Thailand by 47 points.
Thailand now have two losses, which is considered a death sentence in a round-robin tournament such as this one. Meanwhile, Indonesia join Gilas as the only undefeated teams left, making their May 22 clash a virtual battle for the gold medal provided neither team loses twice the rest of the way (which is unlikely).
What made Indonesia's win all the more impressive was they did it without new naturalized player Marques Bolden.
3. RR comes alive
RR Pogoy hardly made his presence felt in the first two games, shooting a combined 3-of-7 and averaging just 5.0 points. He broke out in a big way against Singapore, leading the team in scoring with 19 points on 8-of-17 shooting.
Even though his outside shot is still shaky (just 3-of-10 from deep), he's managed to sources his points elsewhere, particularly on floaters in the paint. The team will need him to hit more from beyond the arc in the coming games.
4. That kid nicknamed 'LeBron' is the new fan favorite
Every time Francis "LeBron" Lopez touches the ball, a buzz starts to fill the crowd at the Thanh Tri Gymnasium. They've come to expect something spectacular from the 19-year-old, and he's embraced the challenge.
Lopez made all his seven shots against Singapore to finish with 18 points, including his usual serving of crowd-pleasing slams. He also isn't afraid of contact.
After he was met in the air by Singapore's burly 6-foot-7 center Lavin Raj, Lopez crashed to the floor but immediately sprung to his feet in one swift motion.
And the kid can get his points efficiently. He's made 15 of 18 shots in two games and is averaging a team-high 17.5 points per game.
5. There are still some kinks that need to be ironed out
No moving screens were called this time, but there were still a few plays that must have hurt Philippines coach Chot Reyes' eyes: Gilas are still missing easy shots underneath.
The lack of practice time together is also obvious at times, with players sometimes out of position. Overall the team is averaging 15.7 turnovers per game, including 16 earlier against a tired Singapore squad.
Teams have also been attacking Gilas along the baseline where defenders have sometimes been slow to rotate.