PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — A deadlier, more prepared Gilas Pilipinas side is expected to show up when the sudden-death semifinal of the men's basketball tournament of the 32nd Southeast Asian Games unwrap on Monday at the Elephant 2 Hall of the Morodok Techo National Stadium here.

The Filipinos have yet to determine their semifinal opponent, but head coach Chot Reyes is already burning the midnight oil in preparation for an all-out war in the semifinal that is set at 4 p.m. (Manila time).

Gilas will face the victor between reigning champion Indonesia and powerhouse Thailand in the semifinal for a victory that will send them to the gold medal match.

The Indonesians and the Thais are still clashing at press time.

Gilas used their one-day breather on Mother's Day, not just to stay connected with their loved ones back home, but also to rest and recover in preparation for the all-important semifinal battle.

Reyes and his chief deputy, Tim Cone, on the other hand, used their time off to carefully study the Indonesians and the Thais, knowing that they will do everything to avert the Filipinos' return to Southeast Asian glory.

"It's all we do all day with the team," said Cone, the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel mentor who steered Gilas to a gold medal in the 30th SEA Games in Manila last year.

"The coaching staff studied videos and watched Indonesia and Thailand. It was a busy time for us. There's no off day."