BY NOLI CORTEZ

THEY exchanged pleasantries and were generally cordial with each other.

Underneath the seeming bonhomie, however, ill-feelings have definitely set in between Purefoods and Sta. Lucia Realty players two days before they start their Smart PBA Philippine Cup title showdown at the Araneta Coliseum.

It manifested in the way they shook hands and greeted each other. Sly glances were thrown at one another by the players, as if sizing each other up, searching for visible kinks. Even the exchanged smiles were a bit strained, the few remarks reserved.

Each one knows even the slightest edge could go a long way in the best-of-seven series.

For Giants star point guard Roger Yap, the covert contempt is all bred by familiarity, started when the two teams debuted in the season with a game marred by nine technical fouls and two ejections.

"Kilalang-kilala namin sila," Yap stressed in yesterday’s pre-Finals press conference at the Harbor View Restaurant. "Matigas din sila, pero we will not back down from them."

Eerily, words to that effect were also uttered by Realtors veteran center Marlou Aquino. "Kung exhibition lang siguro, talagang okey kami sa isa’t-isa. Pero finals na ito," he said. "Medyo tabi muna ang pagkakaibigan pagdating sa court."

Indubitably, Purefoods coach Ryan Gregorio and SLR counterpart Boyet Fernandez were of the same mind-set, firing off the first salvos the past days by alluding to the other’s ‘defensive’ tactics and following those up with virtually the same words yesterday.

This prompted PBA Commissioner Sonny Barrios to step in and assure the teams their mutual wish for consistency is being worked out by the league.

"Our officiating will be more on polishing the things we missed," said Barrios, seated in the center of the head table, flanked by the coaches and some of their players. "The important thing is, we have set a standard that we should perform above average and we will not stifle the games of the teams. If we penalize honest defense, no matter how tough it is, it will not be doing justice to the teams, their fans and the league."

Otherwise, the teams have amply rested from their grueling semifinals series that went the full route and are now ready for the tougher grind ahead.