The history of Korea’s homecourt Houdinis against the Philippines in the Asiad

In a few hours, we’ll all find out if Gilas Pilipinas will finally rid an entire nation of horrific memories that plagued the consciousness of those who witnessed the agony of defeat in the two previous editions of the Asian Games wherein the staging was held in (South) Korea.

There was a level of alleviation against perhaps our most bitter regional hoops rivals when Gilas came from behind to win against the Sokors in last year’s edition of the FIBA Asia Championship—and in the process qualify for this year’s FIBA World Cup in Spain.
 
The semifinals triumph by the Pinoys finally exorcised the dreaded “Curse of Korea” and, to be honest with you, that really felt good.
 
Back home, the Korean citizens may begin claiming that the only reason why Gilas defeated their intrepid squad was because we had homecourt advantage. And now, in Inchon, they will be seeking payback.
 
This is the third occasion Korea is hosting the quadrennial meet, which began in 1951 with India being the first host nation. Previous to Inchon, Korea hosted the 1986 event in its capital city of Seoul and in 2002 in Busan. Thailand is the only nation to have hosted more Asiads having done so four times, the most previous occasion being in Bangkok in 1998—the last time the Philippines actually claimed a podium finish in basketball when Tim Cone’s Centennial team—and Jojo Lastimosa’s incredible performance—kept Kazakhstan at bay in the bronze medal match.
 
The Philippines has hosted only one Asiad and that was way back in 1954.
 
Our proud basketball nation has also won the men’s hoops title four times (in successive fashion from 1951 to 1962) and is only behind China (seven-time champion) in most basketball gold medals in the history of the games. Korea has only won the basketball gold three times—in 1970 (Bangkok), 1982 (New Delhi) and 2002 (at home in Busan).
 
So in the Philippines’ quest to break a 54-year title drought, they must—at some point—go through the Koreans to achieve that goal. As luck has it in Inchon, Gilas has them in their quarterfinal bracket; a non-knockout stage.
 
But on those two times that Korea hosted the Asiad prior to Inchon is when the Philippines shed the most tears in losing to this proud contingent: rage in the 1986 Seoul edition and disbelief in the 2002 Busan version.
 
For those not old enough to remember these two instances—or for those who intentionally erased them from their memory banks in the hope of living a life of good vibes—let’s revisit by recalling the line-ups we had then.
 
Asiad X (1986—Seoul, South Korea)
 
4 Alvin PATRIMONIO (Mapua Institute of Technology)
5 Ronaldo MAGSANOC (University of the Philippines)
6 Isabelo LASTIMOSA, Jr. (Ateneo de Cagayan)
7 Elmer REYES (San Beda College)
8 Allan CAIDIC (University of the East)
9 Avelino LIM, Jr. (Letran College)
10 Ferdinand PUMAREN (De La Salle University)
11 Eric ALTAMIRANO (University of the Philippines)
12 Glen CAPACIO (Far Eastern University)
13 Harmon CODIÑERA (Far Eastern University)
14 Jerry CODIÑERA (University of the East)
15 Edgardo TANUAN (Far Eastern University)
 
Head Coach: Joe LIPA (University of the Philippines)
 
This was the last Asiad before then FIBA Secretary General Borislav Stankovic introduced the concept of “Open Basketball” in 1989 that allowed professional basketball players to suit up for their national teams. These twelve collegians not blessed with exceptional height and heft in my opinion is one of the best national teams ever formed, and under the fiery tutelage of Lipa were geared to make history for the Philippines.
 
The format at the time was different. All teams play a single round robin affair with the top two teams clashing for the gold medal.
 
The Philippines notched two early victories—against the very tall Japanese team 81-78, and against hapless Hong Kong 109-75 before succumbing to behemoth Shan Tao and China 84-112. The Pinoys rebounded quickly, however, by trouncing Kuwait 90-74. Their next assignment would be the host nation.

 
(South) Korea had the budding perimeter threat—and swagger-filled—Hur Jae in their line-up while old reliable Lee Chung Hee was entering the twilight of his international career. Future Korean legend Kim Yoo Taek was just beginning to become noticed as one of the rising pivots in Asian basketball.
 
All the Philippines had to do was beat Korea and their two remaining light assignments in Malaysia and Jordan and they would stay at second place and most likely go up against the Chinese for the gold medal.
 
It was a solid effort on the part of the Pinoys, led by their one-two combo of Caidic with his deadly sniping and Lim with his timely inside incursions that kept the team in it and were only down by one point in the dying seconds of the match when Caidic drove to the basket, collided with the 6’9” Kim and fell to the ground—after taking an off-balanced running shot. The Filipino crowd came to life as it would have been the lead with the UE gunner heading to the line to make it a two-point advantage. It looked like an impending upset by Philippines.
 
But the referee who blew his whistle called Caidic for an offensive foul and nullified the basket (which was obviously released before the collision occurred). A disheartened Caidic pleaded with the referee to no avail and Korea dribbled out the remaining time, escaping with a one point victory 103-102 to send the Philippines to third place in the standings.
 
Fellow Yahoo Sports blogger Ronnie Nathanielsz was doing the television commentary at the time and disgustedly quipped after the horrible call: “Korea has six players on the floor: (their five and that referee).
 
The Philippines eventually did prevail over the Malaysians and Jordanians to claim the bronze medal while China completed its sweep by barely coming out on top against the hosts 77-74.
 
For some of the players on that squad, that moment still haunts them to this day.
 
“We were going to win, but that call won it for them,” Altamirano, now the Head Coach of the National University (NU) Bulldogs told me once.
 
“Hindi ako nakatulog ng mahimbing ng matagal matapos nun,” Jerry Codiñera told me a few years back while he was still among the coaching staff of the University of the Philippines (UP).
 
In 2002, the Philippines had put together a phalanx of some of its best professional players—some still refer to as one of the strongest teams ever formed:
 
Asiad XV (2002—Busan, South Korea)
 
4 Tito CASTILLO, Jr. (Purefoods)
5 Roderick RACELA (San Miguel
6 Donaldo HONTIVEROS (San Miguel)
7 Dennis ESPINO (Sta. Lucia)
8 Michael PENNISI (Red Bull)
9 Eric MENK (Ginebra)
10 Danilo ILDEFONSO (San Miguel)
11 Andrew John SEIGLE (Purefoods)
12 Jeffrey CARIASO (Coca Cola)
13 Rudy HATFIELD (Coca Cola)
14 Paulasi TAULAVA (Talk n’ Text)
15 Kenneth DUREMDES (Alaska)
 
Head Coach: Joseph UICHICO (San Miguel)
 
The iconic Ron Jacobs was supposed to be the man at the helm of this monster squad, but during the formation of the squad he suffered a stroke and the task of trudging on fell on Uichico—one of Jacobs’ most loyal disciples.
 
This time around, there were four groups of three teams each with the top two going through to the quarterfinals to be grouped again to play a single round session before the top four face off in the knockout crossover semifinals.
 
The Philippines drew an easy group and obliterated its opponents the United Arab Emirates 81-56 and North Korea 89-63 with Taulava controlling the boards and Castillo and Duremdes providing the offense.
 
In the quarterfinals, the Philippines was grouped with defending champions China, Japan and Chinese Taipei. Against Japan, the Pinoys survived an incredible 30-point performance by shooter Takehiko Orimo to notch a close 79-74 win behind a double-double showing from Taulava. They next routed the Taiwanese 83-69 but then got rained on by Hu Wei Dong’s amazing display of range as China dealt the Filipinos their first loss of the tournament 51-92.
 
They still finished in second place in the group and advanced to the knockout semis where the host nation once again was waiting.
 
The Koreans were now led by wingman Moon Kyung Eun who was averaging well over twenty points a game while bigman Kim Joo Seung (then 22) manned the middle but also showed exceptional range. Kim was still on the Korean line-up in last year’s FIBA Asia Championship.
 
This time around, the Philippines dictated the tempo as Racela waxed hot from the outside while Taulava and Menk imposed their wills in the paint. So stifling was the Philippine defense that most of Moon’s game-high eighteen points came in the first half.
 
In the final seconds of the game, the Philippines held a precarious two-point lead when Korea missed a jumper and Racela grabbed the long rebound. The San Miguel guard who was immediately fouled to stop the clock. Racela was the team’s best free throw shooter and had the golden opportunity to ice the game from the line and send the Philippines to its first gold medal match since the 1990 Beijing edition—wherein the Philippines won the silver.
 
But for some inexplicable reason, Racela missed both his charities and the Koreans recovered the ball and raced into the front court for one final shot. Hontiveros got a hand on the ball but began falling and inadvertently pushed it towards point guard Lee Sang Min—a non-factor in the game up to that point. Lee picked up the fortunate tip, faked off Taulava and Hontiveros, and launched a 25-foot shot as the buzzer sounded.
 
It went straight in and the Koreans escaped with a 69-68 triumph while the Philippines wept unabashedly on the court after squandering a sure win.
 
Racela took it the hardest.
 
“I would trade any of the free throws I made in my career for those two that I missed,” he said in an interview later on.
 
“Hindi ko alam kung pano ako nadapa,” Hontiveros recounted to me several years later. “Parang may humila sa akin pababa, pero wala namang tao sa likod ko.”
 
Then Assistant Coach—now Parañaque councilor—Binky Favis once told me about their Busan experience.
 
“When you enter the venue, it’s as if you feel very heavy and bothered for no reason,” he said in the vernacular. “It’s like a hex had been placed on us before the game. Olsen (Racela) does not miss in those situations. Asi (Taulava) had been perfect from the line. I still can't figure it out.”

(Taluava and also missed two free throws in the last two minutes.)

Here's a clip of the last half of the fourth period of that fateful game. Watch it and weep.

 
China also felt that unexplained phenomenon during the championship game as future NBA talents Yao Ming and Mengke Bateer missed point blank shots and usually deadly Hu shot terribly. Korea forced the game into overtime and went on to deal China its first loss on the Asiad stage in twenty years—since Lee Chung Hee shot the lights out in Delhi.
 
Now in Incheon, Gilas is at a must-win situation after falling to Qatar in their opening quarterfinal encounter.
 
Gilas must replicate their victory against the Koreans at the MOA Arena to keep their semifinals hopes alive. If they achieve that, then they will have enough momentum against the Kazakhs on Sunday.
 
Can Gilas bury the Houdinis in their own country? Can Gilas start off strong to avoid any endgame complications? And if the dying seconds becomes close once again, can Gilas finally lay to rest the ghosts of Seoul in 1986 and Busan in 2002?
 
That would be a mean feat and the stuff of legends.
 
 
Follow Noel Zarate on Twitter (@NoelZarate) and email sportztackle@yahoo.com