RP 5 jinxed in South Korea

It was like South Korea was destined to win the gold at the 14th Asian Games basketball competitions in Busan. And because Lady Luck had glowing plans for the hosts, the Philippines just couldn’t be accommodated.

Losing to South Korea in South Korea has become a haunting habit for the Filipino cagers at the Asian Games. Twice, the Philippines came close to upending the Koreans on their homecourt and twice, the Filipinos lost by the skin of their teeth.

Who can forget the Philippines’ heartbreaking 103-102 semifinal loss to South Korea at the 1986 Asiad in Seoul? Japanese referee Mitsuo Suguira’s decision averted a first-class upset when Filipino triggerman Allan Caidic was slapped an offensive foul with seven ticks left and cleared the way for the hosts’ entry into the finals against China.

Here’s what happened.

The never-say-die Filipinos, coached by Joe Lipa, stormed back from a 21-point deficit midway the second half to trim the gap to eight behind a scorching 21-8 blast, time down to barely four minutes. With 1:30 to go, the Filipinos crept closer as the Koreans protected a 101-97 edge.

Kim Hyun Jun then sank a pair of free throws but Glenn Capacio retaliated with a triple to make it 103-100. It was the locals’ sixth triple during the rally. Ronnie Magsanoc had earlier buried two and Caidic, three.

A Korean miss provided the Filipinos the opportunity to narrow the gap further and Samboy Lim didn’t disappoint his fans. The Skywalker wasted no time as he raced upcourt to score on a fastbreak layup. Only 38 ticks remained and the Koreans were ahead by a single point.

With 10 seconds left, Lee Chung Hee lost the ball at the sideline as the partisan crowd braced for a photo finish. Caidic took control at that stage and dribbled at full throttle. Hur Jae desperately tried to keep in step with the streaking Caidic, running neck-to-neck as they crossed the midcourt line.

As Caidic prepared to take off near the free throw line, Hur jumped in front of the Filipino. The collision was inevitable. Hur definitely initiated the contact, blocking Caidic’s path, as the Korean lunged to prevent a basket. The call should have sent Caidic to the stripe on a one-plus-one situation. Instead, Suguira signaled a charge. The game was over.

Caidic crumpled to the floor, on his knees, in disbelief. The guaranteed silver that had suddenly come so close on a few seconds back was gone forever. Magsanoc walked up to Suguira, his face unconcerned. The Filipino guard pleaded for a reconsideration, almost in tears. But it was no use. There could be no basis for a protest because the call didn’t involve a technicality.

Caidic couldn’t have possibly forced the issue on the crucial play. He was sprinting like mad with Hur keeping pace. Assuming Hur managed to outrun Caidic from the midcourt line to the free throw stripe, he couldn’t have broken out more than a stride ahead because the short distance couldn’t allow it. There was no way Hur could’ve established defensive position to take the charge in that short run.

For the record, among the other Filipino players on that squad were Elmer Reyes, Alvin Patrimonio, Dindo Pumaren, Jerry Codinera, Jojo Lastimosa, and the late Jack Tanuan.

Unlike in Busan, the Filipinos recovered from the semifinal loss to claim the bronze in Seoul.

In Busan, the Philippines was within a whisker of making it to the finals–like in Seoul in 1986. But once again, the hosts spoiled the party. South Korea crushed the Philippines’ hopes on another one-point victory. The Filipinos failed to regroup and lost to Kazakhstan in the battle for bronze while South Korea went on to dethrone China, 102-100, in overtime in the finals.

Coach Joseph Uichico’s cagers could’ve wrapped it up with two free throws, time down to 23.9 seconds, but Olsen Racela missed twice to leave the window open for the hosts to steal the win. Although the Filipinos had two fouls to give, they failed to capitalize and Lee Sang Min played the spoiler’s role in converting a triple at the buzzer.

It had to be fate. From losing coach Ron Jacobs to a stroke, to losing Danny Seigle to an Achilles tendon tear, to missing four free throws down the stretch, to failing to capitalize on two fouls to give. The Philippines was jinxed from the start. Like a loss was written in the stars. Like South Korea’s victory was handwritten on the wall.

Although South Korea hadn’t beaten China in the Asian Basketball Confederation (ABC) championships since 1997 and in the Asian Games since 1982, there was an ominous sign at the East Asian Games in Osaka last year.

Not too many hoop scholars know that South Korea beat China, 100-97, in the preliminaries of the third East Asian Games in May last year. Seven Chinese players in Osaka were back on the national squad in Busan. They were Yao Ming, Mengke Bateer, Hu Weidong, Liu Yudong, Gong Xiaobin, Zhang Cheng, and Li Nan. Also in coach Wang Fei’s Osaka cast was Wang Zhizhi. Korea’s lineup listed Kim Joo Sung, Cho Sang Hyun, Seo Jang Hoon, Lee Kyu Sup, and Choo Seung Gyun who all played in Busan. Curiously, the Korean roster did not include Busan stars Lee Sang Min, Hyun Joo Yup, Kyung Eun Moon, and Chun Hee Chul.

Also, at the East Asian Games, Kazakhstan blasted South Korea, 121-92–a whopping 29-point margin–and lost to China by only three, 108-105. Guard Vitaly Strebkov stood out in both games, scoring 30 against the Koreans and 33 against the Chinese. He fired 30 to fuel Kazakhstan’s 68-66 win over the Philippines in the bronze medal game in Busan last Saturday. The Kazaks brought nine players from Osaka to Busan.

South Korea captured its third Asian Games hoops gold in Busan after victories in 1970 and 1982. China lost in a bid for a fifth straight title. For the Philippines, it was a painful setback.

The Philippines won the gold in the first four stagings of Asiad hoops in 1951, 1954, 1958, and 1962. Then the Filipinos finished sixth in 1966, fifth in 1970, fourth in 1974, fifth in 1978, fourth in 1982, third in 1986, second in 1990, fourth in 1994, third in 1998, and fourth this year. Since 1962, the Philippines has brought back a medal in basketball from the Asian Games only thrice–in 1986, 1990, and 1998.

The South Korean jinx left the Filipino cagers without a medal in Busan. But the experience of coming within a point of advancing to the finals has reestablished the Philippines as a power in Asian basketball once again.