Before the game vs South Korea that led the Philippines to its first FIBA World Cup appearance in 36 years, Marc Pingris was feeling the pressure. He was psyching himself up. During the game, he didn't realize he was yelling at Japeth Aguilar.
August 10, 2013. It was the date Filipino basketball fans would remember as the day Gilas Pilipinas broke the Korean curse.
There were many heroes in that 2013 FIBA Asia Championship semifinals, that fateful day inside the Mall of Asia Arena, when the Philippines ended a 36-year FIBA World Cup drought and booked a ticket to Spain next year.
One of them was Marc Pingris, the scrappy forward and the only player in double digits for Gilas Pilipinas with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
He was especially laser-focused that day.
"To be honest, sobrang pressured ko nung time na 'yun," Pingris said in the first episode of Pilipinas Live's Puso-to-Puso.
"Bago 'yung game, tinitignan kita eh," fellow Gilas Pilipinas forward Ranidel de Ocampo said. He described Pingris as trying to psych himself up by yelling. "Sabi ko, 'Pressured si Ping ah.'"
"Namatay kasi 'yung pamangkin ko," Pingris admitted. "Papunta nga ako sa game nun tapos kinakausap ko siya, 'Alam kong gusto mong manood ngayon, manood ka lang.'"
"Tulungan mo na lang kami," de Ocampo chimed in.
That's why, despite the sold-out crowd inside MOA Arena for the semifinals, Pingris was locked in. They were battling South Korea, an opponent they had not beaten for some 28 years.
"Sa dami ng Pilipino talaga, wala akong napapansin," Pingris explained.
"Alam mo 'yung kabayo? Eto lang nakikita ko, walang ibang tao," he said, motioning about horse blinkers.
The second half of that game was especially dramatic. The team's naturalized player, Marcus Douthit, aggravated a knee injury and could not return to the ball game.
It was up to June Mar Fajardo, Japeth Aguilar, Gabe Norwood, Pingris, and de Ocampo to protect the paint.
With Korea up 75-73 in the last three minutes, Jimmy Alapag launched a three to take back the lead. De Ocampo added another two points with a drive, along with another triple.
Less than a minute left, Alapag launched another rainbow shot. The lead ballooned to five. Korea had to call for a timeout.
Norwood swatted what would have been a three-pointer from Korea. Wasting away the time down to just 20 seconds, Castro went in for the drive. He missed.
But Pingris was there to clean it up. Gilas, 86-79.
"'Yung pinapanood ko 'yung tape, dun ko na-realize na bakit si Japeth sinisigawan ko? 'Japeth, let's go!' Gustong gusto ko talaga manalo," Pingris shared.
"Ang iniisip ko, pagka-shoot ko, takbo agad ako sa depensa dahil alam kong babawi," he said. "Natapilok ako nun kaya paika-ika ako. Masakit hita ko. Pero nung nawala si Marcus Douthit, kailangan ikaw, ako, si June Mar, Japeth. Ito dapat yung mag-step up."
Korea indeed did try another triple but they missed. Pingris got the final rebound and ensured there would be no more attempts in the final 13 seconds.
"Grabe game na 'yun," he said. "'Di ako kinakabahan. Sobrang steady lang na galit ako, ganun. Sobrang galit ako, laban kung laban. Patay kung patay."
The Philippines finally beat South Korea. Gilas Pilipinas was in the FIBA Asia Championship finals. They were going back to the FIBA World Cup for the first time since 1978.
"Tapos nung final buzzer talaga, iyak talaga ako nun," Pingris explained.
He and De Ocampo were actually both crying during the press conference.
"Lahat ng ginawa natin, nagbunga. World Cup, parang nananaginip ba 'ko? Ibang level na 'to. 'Di ko akalain na darating ako sa ganun," Pingris shared.
"Natutulog [ka] lang sa palengke," de Ocampo noted of Pingris.
"Ikaw, ganito ka lang, tapos World Cup. Doy, mga NBA player kalaban natin," Pingris added.