THE battle-tested San Miguel Beermen and their rookie coach Ato Agustin just refused to wilt under tremendous pressure—when the never-say-die Ginebra Kings looked poise to extending to the limit their semifinal duel in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup on Sunday night at the Araneta Coliseum.
No less than former Beerman and Most Valuable Player Agustin showed the trust and confidence he and the players needed from each other as they snatched the race-to-four series, 89-86.
It was an escape act for the Beermen, who came to the brink of being forced to a Game Seven in perhaps one of the classic postseason confrontations in the 36-year-old league.
“We stayed focus,” said Agustin after the emotion-packed and physical game. Agustin, who for a while it seemed forgot he is now a coach, had a verbal tussle with Ginebra spitfire Mark Caguioa in the first half.
“’Nung naging dikit ang laban, sabi ko sa sarili ko mananalo kami dito. Kapag close game kasi mataas ang confidence ko sa players ko and I give credit to them for this,” he said.
Alex Cabagnot, booed by Ginebra fans every time he touched the leather—which was often because he is his team’s point guard—again delivered the clutch baskets, while Arwind Santos and Anthony Jay Washington made the key plays at crunchtime as San Miguel advanced to a 32nd Finals appearance. They face conference top seed Talk ’N Text in the best-of-seven championship series that starts on Saturday in Victorias City in Negros Occidental.
Cabagnot, who sat out their 76-102 loss in Game Five, hit five straight points—including a back-breaking trey that silenced the boisterous Kings fans—after the Kings took an 82-80 lead.
“It’s a good thing Arwind found me in the wing and trusted me and I hit the shot,” said the lefty Cabagnot, who was assessed a double technical foul with Caguioa for a heated exchange of words.
After Eric Menk tied the game with a three-point play off Danny Ildefonso at 85, Washington, followed up Ildefonso’s air ball attemp to give San Miguel the lead for good.
“We don’t want to play another game with Ginebra,” said Washington, who will face his former team Talk ’N Text in the finals.
The Beermen, title-less in 10 seasons, took a day off on Monday before sweating it out in preparation for the dangerous Tropang Texters.
“It will be a good series,” said Agustin, who is trying to become the eighth coach to win a PBA title in his rookie year. The honor roll includes his Finals nemesis Chot Reyes (with Purefoods).
“We have to be ready sa speed and quickness ng Talk ’N Text. We’ll be preparing a game plan for them.”
The other coaches who won on their rookie years were Narciso Bernardo (Crispa), Arlene Rodriguez (Shell), Eric Altamirano (Purefoods), Ryan Gregorio (Purefoods), Joel Banal (Talk ’N Text) and Siot Tanquingcen (Ginebra).
(Joel Orellana)
Texters want no nightmares anymore
APPARENTLY, Jimmy Alapag and his Talk ’N Text teammates have not forgotten their unceremonious ouster last conference.
It was like a nightmare. It keeps coming back to haunt them.
Up three games to two against Alaska in their semifinal series, the Tropang Texters were one win away from advancing to a playoff with San Miguel for the Fiesta Conference championship.
They were so close. Really, really close.
Then the unexpected happened. The Aces took the next two games to eliminate the top seeded TNT and eventually won the championship.
“From Day One, this team has not forgotten what happened last conference and knowing how everybody talked about how we’ve fallen short,” said Alapag during a postgame interview after TNT dispatched defending champion B-Meg Derby Ace in Game Six of their semifinal series to earn a return trip to the Finals of the Philippine Cup.
It will be TNT’s first Finals appearance since winning the Commissioner Jun Bernardino Trophy in 2008-09.
For TNT coach Chot Reyes, it marked his 11th career Finals appearance and second with the Tropang Texters.
Interestingly, TNT has won the championship on both times it made the All-Filipino Finals—in 2003 under Joel Banal and in 2008-09 under Reyes.
This one looks headed for the same direction.
Everything seemed to be falling into place for the Tropang Texters since Reyes retooled the team for this conference with a roster that put special emphasis on defense.
“Hopefully we could sustain that defense in the Finals against San Miguel,” Reyes said.
Alapag, who averaged 12.8 points and 5.8 assists in the semifinals, said since Day One of the conference, their goal is not just to be back in the Finals, but to finish it.
“The job is not done. To be honest, as great as it feels to be back in the finals and knowing how tough it is this season just trying to get here...you know as great as that feels, the job isn’t done,” Alapag said.
Joel Orellana/Dave Corros, Business Mirror
