One step backward

Don’t lose hope, you of little faith. So what if the Philippines was massacred by China in the quarterfinals of the 14th Asian Games basketball competitions last Tuesday in Busan? That was virtually a no-bearing game, remember?

Of course, losing by 41 points was a big blow to the ego. What’s worse, China coach Wang Fei used his scrub players to kick ass down the stretch. Ouch.

The consolation was the Philippines was in the thick of the fight up to the end of the first half. If Hu Weidong didn’t hit that miracle triple at the buzzer, China would’ve been up by "only" 14 at the turn–instead of 17. In the first period, China led by nine as the Philippines’ defense held the Chinese gunners somewhat in check.

Then the rains fell and left the Filipinos soaking wet. In the third quarter, China broke the game open behind a murderous 33-12 assault. Uichico never recovered from the shock. His boys, too. Wang Fei must have told his boys during the halftime break to give it all they had–full steam ahead. He must’ve figured out Uichico’s gambit of slowing down the game to avoid an early blowout so that the Philippines could stage a make-or-break run in the late going. Wang Fei didn’t give Uichico–his adversary in the 1982 Asian Youth title game which the Philippines won over China–a chance to regroup.

While the Philippines’ defense wasn’t bad–at least in the first half, its offense stunk. The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) All-Stars were 0-of-12 from three-point distance at lemontime. If at least half connected, the Philippines would’ve been on top at the turn by a point. That’s how critical the outside shot is against a team that’s bigger, stronger, and more experienced in the international game.

From the floor, the Philippines shot a lowly 30.7 percent compared to China’s 58.1 percent. Uichico’s boys wound up hitting less than 10 percent from triple distance.

Before the game, Nike’s Asiad correspondent Janelle So spoke with Wang Fei who said the Philippines should hone up on defense. "He noticed the differences between this team and the team that played in Bangkok in the last Asian Games," reported Janelle. "The team before was older, more experienced and had an American coach," observed Wang. He told me the Philippines is a very good team, the players are strong and have good skills but most of the players would rather shoot than defend."

In the semifinals, the Philippines probably won’t lean on the outside shot too much against South Korea. Uichico will likely concentrate his attack inside the paint where Asi Taulava, Eric Menk and Dennis Espino are expected to put pressure on Seo Jang Hoon and the teenaged Kim Joo Sung.

The key to stopping South Korea lies in sprinting back on defense. The Koreans like to push it up and score in transition. In the halfcourt, they set up for the three-point shot more than the post play.

If the Philippines won last Tuesday, it would’ve meant a silver because Kazakhstan is a much easier opponent than South Korea in the semifinals. Not to dismiss Kazakhstan as a lightweight. The Kazaks are tall and methodical. Their main man is 6-8 Yevgeny Issakov who’s only 20 years old. They’ll be tough to beat in the battle for bronze if the Filipinos lose to the hosts tomorrow.

But let’s go back to that 41-point loss.

At the 1990 Asian Games in Beijing, the Philippines also lost to China in the quarterfinals. The margin of difference was a whopping 65 points. The Chinese crushed the Filipinos, 125-60. But guess what? The Philippines bounced back to beat Japan, 94-90, in the semifinals and advanced to the finals against China in a rematch. The Chinese eventualy won the gold by repulsing the Philippines, 90-76.

In Busan, Japan won’t be the Philippines’ semifinal opponent. South Korea stands in its way to a sure silver and a return bout against China.

Still, you can’t help but draw a parallel to the circumstances in Beijing and Busan. The 41-point loss wasn’t as bad as the 65-point setback 12 years ago. And the Philippines stormed back from the 65-point humiliation to make it to the finals. Will history repeat itself in Busan tomorrow?