FOR many, the last-second hail mary chucked up by SJ Belangel — derided in a post-match press conference by South Korean coach Cho Sang-hyun as a “lucky shot” — was a satisfying role reversal of a similar moment for the Philippine team back in 2002.
In the Asian Games in Busan, the Philippines was clinging to a slim two-point lead, 68-66, the semifinals game against Korea. Olsen Racela had the chance to widen the gap, but came up empty at the charity stripe.
What followed was the stuff of nightmares for Philippine basketball fans up to this day: a clutch three at the buzzer by Lee Sang Min delivered the heartbreak for the Filipinos and gave the hosts the narrow 69-68 victory.
Close to two decades later, the Filipinos finally returned the favor.
Belangel's miracle shot at the buzzer last Wednesday gave the Koreans a long-delayed taste of their own medicine to lift Gilas to an 81-78 triumph. The off-balanced shot was unquestionably 19 years in the making, and more importantly, lit a fire under the spunky Gilas young guns.
Motivated to prove that the first win was no fluke, the Philippine team doubled down on the Koreans on Sunday, taking a convincing 82-77 victory to complete its campaign in the 2021 Fiba Asia Cup qualifiers.
Basketball fans can only hope that the solid two-game sweep of the Philippines’ archrivals may mean the end of the so-called “Korean Curse” that has long plagued our national team.
For decades, the South Korean squad has tormented Gilas, most often than not in heartbreaking fashion.
The rivalry has made every SoKor-PH faceoff must-watch hoops, no matter what the stakes are, as Pinoy fans hope to turn the tide and slay their mighty foes.
For the players at the receiving end of the curse, these games become reminders of painful could-have-beens.
Even 16 years after, the spectre of that near-win in the 2002 Asian Games still haunted the players of Team Philippines. “Moments like that are hard to forget,” said Asi Taulava to Spin.ph back in 2018. “I take that with me to my grave.”
In the 2011 Fiba Asia Championship in Wuhan, the Korean Curse struck again. Gilas squared off against South Korea in a battle-for-third matchup and a chance to play in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament. They lost their shot by just two points, 70-68.
Smart Gilas, as they were known at that time, led by as much as 11 points. Korea’s offense came to life after Cho Sung-min and naturalized player Moon Tae-jong managed to trim the lead and turn things around at 69-66. Trailing by 2 at the last seconds of the game, Gilas — and Jvee Casio’s own desperation three-point shot — fell short, and the Philippines ultimately settled for fourth.
The decades-long heartbreak finally came to an end when in 2013, the Gilas Pilipinas squad, composed of PBA’s finest, headed by coach Chot Reyes were able to end the dreaded Korean curse in front of a packed Mall of Asia Arena during that year's Fiba Asia Championship (now the Fiba Asia Cup).
Jimmy Alapag, Jayson Castro, Ranidel de Ocampo, and Larry Fonacier took turns in delivering the hits, before a cleanup by Pingris and an emphatic block by Gabe Norwood on Kim Min-goo sealed the deal for the Philippines to take the 86-79 win.
The result of the gold medal game against powerhouse Iran no longer mattered as the silver medal finish propelled the country to the 2014 Fiba World Cup, the first time in 36 years that the country is in the global hoops tilt.
However, the Koreans came back with a vengeance, winning the next five duels, including the latest in the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta when the Yeng Guiao-mentored Gilas, then-parading NBA player Jordan Clarkson, suffered a 91-82 defeat at the hands of Korea as early as the quarterfinals and relegated the Philippines to a fifth place finish.
Even former Star import Ricardo Ratliffe, who is now playing as Korea's naturalized player, admitted then that it was a bittersweet moment to play against his former teammates from the Philippines given his adoration for the country. But sidelights like this only adds more color to the rivalry budding between the two nations.
That's why it's understandable if Filipinos take great solace from the two-game sweep of the Koreans in the 2021 Fiba Asia Cup qualifiers, no matter how much Korea coach Cho downplays the tension between the two teams.
It's a breakthrough eight years in the making, and with young guns like Belangel, Dwight Ramos, and Kai Sotto leading this Gilas crew, maybe it's due time for the Philippines to extend its mastery over its longtime rivals and even deal them with their own Filipino curse.
Additional reporting by Mark Ernest V. Villeza.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
