THE 2010-11 PBA Philippine Cup Finals between Talk `N Text and San Miguel can’t get any closer than this, pitting the two best teams in the season-opening meet for the championship long considered as the true measure of supremacy in Asia’s pioneering professional league.

It’s the No. 1 team against the No. 2 squad, the unstoppable force versus the immovable object, Manny Pacquiao as opposed to Floyd Mayweather Jr.

“I don’t think we can ask for a better match-up,” said league commissioner Chito Salud of the
first ever championship encounter under his term. “These teams have the same records in the
eliminations (11-3), in the quarterfinals (1-0), and in the semifinals (4-2), If we want to get back the fans, we have to offer the best teams.”

And yet, in any title series, be it against two powerhouse teams with rich histories of winning,
there will always be the fancied ones and the underdogs.

Going into the best-of-seven meet that kicks off on the road in Victorias City, Negros Occidental
this Saturday, the top seeded Tropang Texters appear to have the slight edge over the Beermen, seeded No.2.

Credit that to what Rain or Shine’s Gabe Norwood refers to as Talk `N Text’s dazzling plays off
the transition. “Talk `N Text’s transition is tough to stop,” he admitted, alluding to the deadly run-and-gun backcourt crew of Jimmy Alapag, Ryan Reyes and Jayson Castro, plus a throng of big men in Ranidel de Ocampo, Kelly Williams and Harvey Carey who run the floor well notwithstanding their size.

“The only way for San Miguel to win is to limit their (Tropang Texters) fastbreak points,”
added the former Rookie of the Year out of George Mason University.

For his pick, Norwood said, “it’s Talk `N Text in six.”

Wynne Arboleda, the tough playing point guard of Air21, also sees the Tropang Texters winning their first All-Filipino title in two years in a deciding seventh game.

“I guess Talk `N Text hanggang Game 7. Parehas na magaling at malakas kasi,” he pointed out.

Two others in Coca-Cola coach Bo Perasol and Norwood’s backcourt partner at Rain or Shine, Sol Mercado, believe PBA fans are in for a long and thrilling series that could be decided via the full route.

“I will not be surprised if it goes the full series. Both teams have the manpower and experience
to win it,” said Perasol.

The Coca-Cola mentor is one with Norwood in saying Talk `N Text will take the crown inside six
games.

But if it goes beyond it?

“It’s San Miguel if it goes to 7th,” he said.

Only once in the last five years did the two franchises meet in the Finals, which came in the 2005 Fiesta Conference when the Beermen whipped the Tropang Texters, 4-1.

Their last series meeting goes back to the 2009 Philippine Cup as Talk `N Text eliminated San
Miguel in the semifinals, 4-2, on the way to bagging the title – the last of the total two crowns
it has won.

While it may be the winningest team in the 36-year history of the league with 18 championships, San Miguel has not topped a tournament without imports since 2001.

With both teams motivated to finally end their respective title droughts, Mercado said it’s going
to be either way in the titles series.

But for the stocky third-year shooting guard, the series opener is going to be the indicator of how the title match up will go.

“I think whoever wins Game 1 will win in seven games,” he said. (GR)