Nationals seek first Asiad win in 56 long years vs Koreans

JAKARTA — Not one from the Philippine quintet here has been born the last time the country beat pesky Korea in Asiad basketball right here in this Indonesian capital in 1962.

Jordan Clarkson and his teammates seek to relive the spirit of that Caloy Loyzaga-led 1962 Phl team as they clash with the Koreans in their keenly awaited showdown in the 18th Asian Games men’s basketball tournament at the GBK Basketball Hall on Monday.

The Clarkson-led Philippine side and the Ricardo Ratliffe-powered Korean squad clash at 10 a.m. (11 a.m. in Manila) in one of the Final Eight matchups where the winners advance to the medal round.

It’s Iran versus Japan, Chinese Taipei against Syria and China opposite Indonesia in the other quarterfinal matchups.

With five extra days of practices after its close 80-82 loss to China, the hastily assembled Phl team hopes it has covered all bases in what could well be another fierce battle with the Koreans.

Since that sorrowful Busan day in 2012, Team Phl has never got past the quarterfinals. And, again, since the Philippines’ last of four Asiad title runs in 1962, the Nationals haven’t beaten the Koreans in the quadrennial continental games.

Clarkson, the Fil-Am from Los Angeles now playing with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA, could well be the key as the Nationals try to break the Korean spell.

“We are expecting him to play even better than in the China game. We expect him to be more efficient. I’m not saying he will score more than 28 points but I think the more important thing is he is going to be more efficient, increase his percentages, and create situations for his teammates, which means probably more assists,” said national coach Yeng Guiao.

And if the Nationals can play the same the way they did against the Chinese, Guiao believes they can battle the Koreas for that spot in the Last Four.

They expect a dogfight against a tough Korean team made tougher by Ratliffe. 

The former Missouri U stalwart, a familiar player among Filipino fans for his sterling stints with Magnolia in the PBA, has been a monster at the paint, averaging 23.3 points and 13 rebounds a game while the South Korean gunners have been shooting the lights out here, hitting three-pointers at a high 47-percent clip.

Alas, the national coach insists the Koreans are more than just Ratliffe and their outside shooting.

“They don’t have the length of China but they’re definitely quicker, they have more movements and they have better shooters,” said Guiao.

Team Phl has a good overview of Korea. The question is whether it has mapped out an effective game plan for the deadly Koreans.

“Concept-wise, we understand what they’re doing. Still we want to stay in front of them and challenge them when they take a shot,” said Ryan Gregorio, a three-time PBA champion coach serving as the lead scout of Team Phl here.

A win will send the Philippines to the semifinals against the winner of the Iran-Japan setto.

Two wins will mean a crack at an Asiad achievement the Philippines had nailed long time ago at the Senayan Basketball Hall courtesy of Loyzaga, Boy Arazas, Kurt Bachmann, Ciso Bernardo, Gerry Cruz, Manny Jocson, Alfonso Mora, Rhoel Nadurata, Ed Pacheco, Cristobal Ramos, Alberto Reynoso and Ed Roque.

The contingent hopes new heroes rise for Philippine basketball here.