SAN MIGUEL Beer is one hungry team while TNT Tropang Giga is one unrelenting defending champion.
Reading that alone suggests what’s to expect in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup Finals that start with Game 1 at 6 p.m. on Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
“It’s more than two years and we are very hungry to win … the most prestigious of all [titles], the Philippine Cup,” San Miguel Beer coach Leo Austria said on Friday during the pre-Finals news conference at the Novotel Hotel in Quezon City.
“The last time we tasted the championship was 2019,” Austria added.
But Austria, who steered the Beermen to five straight all-Filipino titles until the very same team that they’ll meet in the Finals stole it away from them, knows the race-to-four duel won’t be a stroll.
“It’s not going to be easy, it’s going to be more difficult than the last time we’ve met, that’s for sure,” said Austria, 64, who is gunning for his ninth PBA crown both as a player and coach. “Most of my players are new with less experience, but they are very hungry to get the championship, so we have to play with a lot of urgency.”
He added: “Remember, the Finals are a game of adjustments.”
The other members of that championship core are no longer with San Miguel. Gone are Christian Standhardinger, Arwind Santos and Alex Cabagnot and in their place are Vic Manuel, CJ Perez, Jericho Cruz, Rodney Brondial and Robbie Herndon.
But holdovers June Mar Fajardo, Marcio Lassiter and Chris Ross believe that everything is level when it comes to their desire to capture the crown.
“I think there’s a lot of excitement now with these new guys from the post-June Mar [Fajardo] injury,” the defensive specialist Ross said.
“I don’t think there’s a difference between the two eras,” Fajardo said. “All I know so far is that the players before and now are both competitive and we’re just going to help each other.”
Lassiter thought the same way.
“We are the hungry team right now. I and most players are skillful,” Lassiter said.
On the other side, TNT head coach Chot Reyes said it’s going to be a tough matchup.
“Not confident at all but I have faith in my team,” said Reyes, who’s seeking for his 10th PBA title. “It’s a team matchup. What’s important for now is to win Game 1—that’s part of the seven-game series—and we will do everything we can to get the W [win].”
Reyes will miss Game 2 and 3 because of national team commitments and tasked to man the fort are assistant coaches Sandy Arespacochaga, Yuri Escueta and team manager Jojo Lastimosa.
Reyes will coach the national team in the FIBA World Cup Asia Qualifiers in Beirut against Lebanon on August 25 and Saudi Arabia on August 29 at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Veteran Jayson Castro also warned that the “old” San Miguel Beer team that won five consecutive Philippine Cup crowns is similar to the present squad.
San Miguel Beer beat Meralco in seven games series while TNT ousted Magnolia in six games in their the best-of-seven semifinals.
San Miguel Beer and TNT squared off last in the 2019 Commissioner’s Cup with the Beermen winning the title in six games against their opponents then coached by Bong Ravena and Mark Dickel.
Image credits: Rudy Esperas