Blessing in disguise

When center Marcus Douthit limped off the court in the second period of Gilas’ semifinal game against South Korea never to return, it could’ve been the best thing that happened to the home team at the recent FIBA-Asia Championships here.

Without Douthit in the middle, Korean coach Jae Hak Yoo took it as a signal to attack the interior. That was Yoo’s biggest mistake. The Koreans tried to exploit the mismatch at center with 6-8 Kim Joo Sung, 6-8 Eric Sandrin, 6-9 Lee Jong Hyun and 6-8 Kim Jong Kyu taking turns manning the slot. Left to play the five spot for Gilas was unlikely center Marc Pingris, who’s 6-5, with Ranidel de Ocampo, also 6-5, at the four position. Douthit could only watch helplessly from the bench, the pain throbbing in his swollen right shin like it was whacked by a sledgehammer.

Known for its lethal outside shooting, Korea played the percentages and pounded it inside not realizing Pingris and De Ocampo play much bigger than their size. What Pingris and De Ocampo showed in that game was pure heart. They battled, scrapped and fought like true warriors, making every Filipino proud. So much was at stake in the game. A win guaranteed a ticket to the FIBA World Cup in Spain next year and a sure silver medal in the FIBA-Asia joust. A loss would’ve sent the Philippines to a do-or-die showdown against the other semifinal loser for the last qualifying slot in Spain.

 Former Iran and Philippine national coach Rajko Toroman, watching the game closely, said Korea’s blunder proved fatal. “Playing inside isn’t their game,” he said. “But with Marcus out, why not attack inside? They didn’t think Marc and Ranidel would be so tough. They went to the post-up instead of setting up to shoot the three. Imagine Marc playing five and Ranidel playing four. They couldn’t beat the Philippines with their big guys against smaller guys who played tougher and with more heart.”

For Toroman, it was a display of Filipino gamesmanship. Nobody wanted Douthit out but Gilas coach Chot Reyes dealt with it the best way he knew how. Pingris rebounded ferociously. De Ocampo did his share in hounding Korea’s bigs. Then, Jayson Castro used his quickness to penetrate and run rings around Korea’s rim protectors and Jimmy Alapag clinched it with clutch three-point shooting down the stretch. The Koreans never knew what hit them. Pingris finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds in 24:12 minutes while De Ocampo compiled 11 points and six boards in 23:47 minutes. Castro delivered 17 points, three rebounds and three assists in 23:33. Alapag shot 14 points, including 4-of-7 triples, in 17:07.

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Douthit did his part in 13:14 minutes, collecting two points, three rebounds, two blocked shots and an assist. He was like a Willis Reed in the 1970 NBA Finals, hobbling, hurting but unbowed. Like so many things that led to Gilas’ silver finish, Douthit’s absence proved providential, like a blessing in disguise, as the Philippines stunned South Korea, 86-79.

Korean guard Kim Mingoo erupted for 27 points but while he provided firepower from the perimeter, it was clear that Yoo tried to generate more offense out of Kim Joo Sung, Sandrin and Lee Jong Hyun who all scored in double figures. Despite Douthit’s absence, Gilas had more rebounds, 43-32, more second chance points, 18-10 and more points in the paint, 38-22 – a testament to an unflinching fighting spirit.

But against Iran in the finals, Gilas wasn’t as formidable without Douthit. That was when Gilas could’ve used a big man to challenge 7-2 Hamed Haddadi. It was in the fourth period when Haddadi went berserk with 10 points on 5-of-7 field goals and four rebounds. JuneMar Fajardo and Japeth Aguilar tried to hold down the towering center but he was just unstoppable in the end.

Toroman said with Gilas’ impressive performance, the sky’s the limit. “Of course, we don’t expect to go to the World Cup finals in Spain but I think it’s reasonable to think we can be competitive,” he said. “We should follow up on what Gilas did in FIBA-Asia. Maybe, it’s time to think ahead and sometime in the future, bring in younger players like Jvee (Casio) and Marcio (Lassiter) for competitions in the next few years. Maybe, it’s also time to synchronize the schedule of our leagues so as not to conflict with FIBA.”

Toroman said the experience of playing against the world’s best players like Manu Ginobili, Dirk Nowitzki and Tony Parker will go a long way in developing mental toughness. “I remember when I was with Iran, I brought in Samad (Nikkhah Bahrami), Hamed and Mahdi (Kamrani) who were in their 20s in 2007 and I was criticized for not going with veterans,” he said. “But we won the FIBA-Asia championship and went to the Olympics. Playing in the Olympics meant a lot in terms of building confidence. I don’t think Iran will ever lose to Jordan or Lebanon. It’s the same with Gilas. After playing in the World Cup and if they’re competitive, it will be good for their confidence. Right now, the focus shouldn’t only be on the World Cup but also the FIBA-Asia Championships in 2015, the Olympic qualifier.”

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Meanwhile, former Australian national coach Lindsay Gaze sent a note of congratulations to Gilas through assistant coach Joseph Uichico. Gaze, 77, coached Australia in four Olympics and has visited Manila on goodwill tours with several teams, including the Melbourne Tigers. His son Andrew is an Australian basketball legend.

“I felt it was necessary for me to express my pleasure that Philippine basketball has at last returned to the world scene after qualifying for the World Cup,” said Gaze. “I was coaching our team (Melbourne) during exhibition games (with the Philippines) a few years ago and then our national team and club teams dating back to 1960 on our way to the Rome Olympics. I have met many fine players from the Philippines since then and enjoyed my contact with your basketball.

“Thus, I have become a supporter and keen to see your basketball achieve its goal this year. I have also spent some time coaching in China so I am able to compare programs in the respective countries. It was a major surprise for me to see China fail to qualify but my doubts came after they played a couple of games here as part of their preparation. I was hoping your team could visit here as part of your preparation as well but they chose to visit New Zealand instead. That turned out to be a good decision, I guess, but maybe, we can resume training and competition opportunities again in the future.

“I enjoyed my last visit to Manila when I had the chance to meet you and now I would like you to pass on my congratulations and best wishes to your team as they look ahead to next year and the World Cup in Spain.”