SATURDAY will mark another crucial match between the Philippines and Kazakhstan in the Asian Games men’s basketball competitions, this time in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
The last time Gilas Pilipinas played Kazakhstan was in a FIBA tournament during the World Cup 2019 Asian Qualifiers when the Philippines won on the road, 93-75, in a February 24, 2019 game in Astana.
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In the Asian Games, however, the two squads have met a couple of times, and there is so much at stake each time the Philippines and Kazakhstan cross paths.
Here are some of such instances:
1998: JOLAS' 'ANGRY GAME'
The Philippine Centennial Team met Kazakhstan twice during the ‘98 Asian Games in Bangkok - the first in the group stage where the Philippines won by only a point, 53-52, in the December 8, 1998 game. The two nations tangled again, this time for the bronze, with the Tim Cone-coached squad securing the medal with a 73-68 victory on December 19, 1998. Jojo Lastimosa carried the Centennial Team with a cluster of points during the home stretch to capture the bronze medal. He later called the Kazakhstan match as his 'angry game,' saying he was motivated after taking exception to Cone playing him limited minutes for most of the Asiad campaign.
2002: AFTERMATH OF KOREA HEARTBREAK
The Philippines met Kazakhstan again for the bronze medal in the 2002 Asiad in Busan, South Korea. But on the heels of a shocking defeat to the host country in the semifinals on a buzzer-beater by Lee Sang Min, the Nationals were unable to regain their spirits and lost to Kazakhstan in a close match, 68-66, in their October 13, 2002 game, leaving them without a medal despite a strong showing in the tournament.
2014: DOUTHIT OWN GOAL
Gilas may have won this second-round game against Kazakhstan, 67-65, on September 28, 2014 in Incheon, Korea, but this game will live in infamy for Filipino basketball fans.
The Philippines needed an 11-point winning margin against Kazakhstan to advance to the semifinals. With Gilas up two in the dying moments, they tried to extend the game into overtime in order to try to mount the required winning margin come the extra period. They did the unthinkable when Marcus Douthit attempted to score on their own basket. But referees waved the shot off because of a FIBA rule barring a player from trying to deliberately score on its own basket.
In an oddity, Kazakhstan lost the game but was the team which celebrated as it ended up in a tie with Qatar and the Philippines at second with a 1-2 win-loss record, but advanced to the semifinals due to a better quotient.
Then head coach Chot Reyes described their situation best. “We won but we really lost,” Reyes said.
2018: JC ON BOARD
Gilas opened the 2018 Asiad in Jakarta against Kazakhstan last August 16, but the significance of the game was off it when Jordan Clarkson arrived from the airport to the GBK Arena in the third quarter of the game to join the team where he sat on the bench. A few days later, Clarkson got the green light from the NBA to play for Gilas on a ‘one-time, special exception’ from the league. With Clarkson on the sidelines, Gilaswalloped Kazakhstan, 96-59, to begin the campaign on a high note. Clarkson made his Gilas debut in the following game against China.
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