When Paul Lee launched a shot from beyond the arc with the intent to deliver the dagger blow into the hearts of China, everyone in the gym, as well as those glued to their screens, held their breath.
For one, the right person was taking the shot. With new member Jordan Clarkson suffering from cramps at the worst possible time, the Philippines needed someone with a proven track record to take that shot.
Lee was the guy. After all, he has had experience breaking China's heart. It was only four years ago that the Magnolia Hotshots star made three clutch free throws with no time left in the game to steal an 80-79 win over the host squad in the 2014 FIBA Asia Cup.
It was a different situation in the 2018 Asian Games, but the scenario remained the same -- Lee had the shot and everyone believed in the outcome. "I think everybody in the gym thought it was going in," Gabe Norwood said.
Unfortunately for Lee and the rest of the Philippines, it was a different outcome this time. The ball rimmed out, China grabbed the rebound then dribbled away until time ran out.
It was a painful ending to an inspiring performance by the Philippines. They needed an incendiary third quarter shooting performance by Clarkson to keep them in the game heading into the final period, then had to battle without him as he suffered from cramps in his first game in two months. They trailed by 10 points with 6:29 remaining in the game. Lesser teams would have packed it in.
But not these guys. They agreed as a unit to leave it out on the floor, and they gallantly fought back. "We came out and played well, and played our hearts out," Norwood said proudly. "No matter what 12 guys you're gonna put in the Philippine team, they will play hard."
They roared all the way back, even leading by three points, with 2:38 remaining. But just as the team was getting ready to celebrate a colossal upset, China mounted an uprising of their own to storm back ahead led by Zhao Rui's drive and clutch free throws.
The Philippines had their opportunities to cement the win, but they couldn't capitalize. They played with raw instinct and intensity all game long. And down the stretch when they needed to execute under duress, it wasn't enough.
"It sucks," Norwood confessed. "At the end of the day, it sucks. We worked that hard as a unit, coach gave us a great game plan and stuck to it. We fought hard to come up short on a play that I think we've all seen Paul make that shot many time."
"We're disappointed now," Center JP Erram added. "It was so close, we just had some miscues. But now we need to rest and focus on the next game."
The boxscore may show that China got the victory, but what Gilas Pilipinas takes from this experience is more than a lesson learned. It's a newfound belief and discovery in each other that they can survive amidst tough situations. Despite the unfamiliarity with each other and with Clarkson, they were right there in the end against a powerhouse squad.
"It's heartbreaking," Erram admitted. No excuses, we wanted to win. But we didn't expect to stay this close, considering we were playing China, a team with so much size. We're so thankful that even though we lost, we still hung in there."
Despite the loss, the team is still breathing, and still fighting. The road to a medal might be tougher, particularly with powerhouse squads like Korea waiting in the wings. But no matter what happens, the Philippines will be ready. Clarkson will have time to recover, and grow more familiar with his teammates. The chemistry and continuity will only get better. Consider Gilas Pilipinas ready and emboldened despite suffering from defeat.
"We move on," Erram said. "We forget about this game, and we move on to the next game. We focus on the next game."