Dominicans to Pinoy fans: Bring ‘em on

MANILA, Philippines — The ever-dependable “Sixth Man” came in handy for Barangay Ginebra when it pulled off a pair of epic title clinchers in the PBA at the Philippine Arena.

Tonight, with the stakes a lot higher, Gin Kings star Japeth Aguilar and his Gilas Pilipinas brothers-in-arms are counting on their throng of supporters to weave magic as they tackle an uber-tough Dominican Republic.

Roaring fans numbering around 46,000 – a new attendance high in a FIBA game – are expected to rally Aguilar and Co. on with deafening chants of “Gi-las,” “Laban Pilipinas, Puso” and the likes in the acid test against NBA All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns and the Dominicanos.

“They give us energy. We draw inspiration from the crowd,” said Aguilar.

The Gilas skipper has seen the benefits of tremendous crowd support firsthand in the cavernous venue.

Just last January, Aguilar and the Gin Kings were fueled by the cheers of a record 54,589 fans in swamping Hong Kong club Bay Area Dragons in a decider for the PBA Commissioner’s Cup title, 114-99.

That historic game mirrored the situation in the 2017 Governors’ Cup rubber match when Ginebra edged Meralco in front of a 54,086-strong audience, 101-96.

Due to FIBA’s seating setup, the Philippine Arena’s capacity for the duel with the Dominicanos is down to 46,000. Even so, a filled arena will suffice in surpassing the FIBA high of 32,616 set when a Shaq O’Neal-led USA beat Russia, 137-91, for the 1994 world title in Toronto, Canada.

“Hopefully, maraming pumunta at sumoporta para sa amin kasi they really motivate us to give our all in the court,” said Aguilar.

“It’s the World Cup. It’s a big event and sobrang small lang ng chance mo so every chance you get in the court, (you) give it all. After the game, you won’t regret anything.”

The Dominicans welcome the massive crowd, no matter how partisan.

“That’s what we play for,” said veteran Eloy Vargas. “Playing in front of a lot of people is great for us to show ourselves and represent our country.”