MONUMENTAL missions for Meralco and Magnolia. But routine runs for TNT and San Miguel Beer (SMB)—supposedly.
That’s the compelling scenario in the blast-off today (Wednesday) of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup semifinals at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Meralco had beaten Ginebra in a 106-104 heart-stopper on Sunday to advance.
That tells a lot for the bold Bolts, whose conquest of the Gin Kings saw them snap a six-series losing streak in playoff punches against the crowd sweethearts.
“This is one step that we’re able to get over the hump against Ginebra,” said Chris Newsome, the biggie Bolt who ambushed the Gin Kings with 21 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds.
But against San Miguel Beer in a protracted win-four duel kicking off at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Meralco needs more of Newsome’s kind to prevail.
The Bolts are not just up against a hump but a big bump in the Beermen, whose five straight victory run of the All-Filipino from 2015 remains a bedrock in basketball supremacy.
And though SMB has had hiccups the last couple years, its rebuilding process has shown immense improvements as seen in its smashing 9-2, win-loss record to top the elimination round running away.
Even Luigi Trillo, Meralco’s interim coach now in relish of a 7-1 mark in the absence of Norman Black, is wary of San Miguel’s palpable return to form.
“It’s a different animal altogether,” said Trillo. “They have June Mar Fajardo, Mo Tautuaa and Vic Manuel.”
If you ask me, said trio are the toughest talls this side of the basketball nook today.
“You look at them pound-for-pound, at one time, Tautuaa and Manuel were arguably the best post guys in the league when June Mar was injured,” said Trillo.
The youthful Trillo, assisted well in strategizing plays by the equally talented Ronnie Magsanoc, concluded: “The Beermen also have CJ Perez, Marcio Lassiter, Chris Ross and they’re gonna be a handful.”
How true. But can SMB coach Leo Austria exploit this obvious edge to the hilt against a highly-motivated Meralco lusting for its first ever All-Filipino Finals?
Will it be a routine-like return to the top for the Beermen, the most decorated team in Philippine basketball?
We’ll see.
Meanwhile, the Magnolia-TNT showdown should also prove interesting, especially for the Hotshots who are up against the defending champion Tropang Giga no less.
Magnolia’s massive mission to topple TNT appears doable in the wake of its classic 112-106 quarterfinal escape act against NLEX, where the Hotshots rescued the win from the grave, which miraculously materialized through the last-minute heroics of the fire-spewing Jio Jalalon.
I’ve got my wine readied—on room temperature. Naturally.
THAT’S IT In his human moment a while back, Fidel V. Ramos made me his crutch as I helped him retrace his way back to his waiting white Land Cruiser at the driveway of the Riviera Golf Club in Silang, Cavite. Yes, he was groggy, but he was still in full command of his faculties, shooing away—gently—his bodyguards as he and I trudged on. “Leave us alone,” he said. “Al will take care of me.” We had just downed a bottle of Remy Martin at—of all places—the Ladies Locker Room, in the company of, among others, Jake P. Ayson, Tony Sisante, Col. Serge Austria, Admiral Louie Fernandez and Gen. Eduardo Ermita (FVR’s favorite aide before becoming GMA’s executive secretary.) Ah, to be of service to a President of the republic! Priceless like a Van Gogh painting.