BY NOLI CORTEZ

STA. Lucia Realty guard Ryan Reyes may just be in his first PBA conference, but he sure has picked up a lot of experience–in a hurry.

"I knew it was going to be intense, but never like this," said Reyes, 24, wincing from a sore back and hurting knees borne of the rough-and-tumble Smart PBA Philippine Cup championship series’ first two games.

"I guess I just have to grin and bear it," he added. "The physicality is sure to continue to rise and we just have to be ready for it."

He could well be right.

The Realtors collectively know the Purefoods Giants are determined to rise out of their 0-2 deficit in the best-of-seven duel and are bracing themselves for more physical matches starting in today’s Game 3 at the Araneta Coliseum.

"Our mind-set is to survive and stay alive," said Giants coach Ryan Gregorio yesterday, two days after absorbing a second straight numbing loss to a Sta.

Lucia team few really expected to be in the finals.

"The pressure is on them to finish us off," Gregorio added. "This remains to be a great character test for us, but we will enjoy the ride."

That was the same relaxed attitude Purefoods used in overcoming two such daunting deficits in two of the last six years. The first was against Alaska in the 2002 Governors Cup finals and again against the Aces in the 2006 Philippine Cup semis, where the Giants actually trailed 1-3.

The respite was a very welcome one for Gregorio’s charges, looking every bit as tired and weary in the endgame of the two previous games in the face of the Realtors’ defensive pressure.

Realtors coach Boyet Fernandez knows the Giants will tinker with their game plan and will come prepared.

"Ryan is a very good coach and their coaching staff has a lot of championship background under their hats," noted Fernandez. "I know they’ll make some adjustments, but I also know my own staff will be there to make adjustments when the need arise."

Fernandez maintains his team will still take it one game at a time, but what should give them enough confidence is the fact his team has yet to fully display the defensive prowess they are known for.

"We’re still not in our kind of game right now. We’re allowing Purefoods to score more than 90 points. Maybe it’s because they’re really a good offensive team," Fernandez explained.

The way his boys stifled the Giants when it mattered most pleases him no end, however.

"That’s why I really appreciate my guys playing defense they way they’ve been doing, but we should do it the whole game long," he said. "Kahit mababa lang ang scoring, basta kami ang panalo, okey sa akin."

The knowledge he and Dennis Miranda, whom Fernandez dubbed as Sta. Lucia’s "Dynamic Duo," have the main task of harassing their Purefoods counterparts and quickly doubling up on the posts does not faze Reyes one bit.

"It’s part of the job and I just want to do my share for the team… whatever I can," said Reyes with a shrug.

It may be a cliché, but spoken like a true veteran.