A FINALS series that is expected to be ordinary is now
turning out to be a classic in the making.
Replete with drama and suspense, the best-of-seven showdown between Purefoods
and Sta. Lucia comes to a boiling point Sunday when the two teams figure in a
winner-take-all duel for the PBA-Smart Philippine Cup title.
The unexpected ending to a championship pitting two unlikely
protagonists reached a new crescendo Wednesday night as the Giants, behind the
hot hands of former league Most Valuable Player James Yap, leveled the series at
three games apiece with an emphatic 89-81 win in Game 6, setting the stage for a
"Super-Sunday" thriller.
With a Game 7 on hand, a sell-out crowd is expected at the
Araneta Coliseum in much the same way it had been for the rest of this
unpredictable series.
And from the looks of it, it’s going to be a sudden-death playoff to remember.
Already, the league’s all-time high attendance of 18,777
recorded in February of last year is in danger of being broken as demand for
tickets flood the league offices and only the upper box section is being sold as
of late yesterday.
"We want to end this tourney on top," vowed Purefoods coach
Ryan Gregorio, looking to repeat the similar caper he and the franchise pulled
off in 2002 when they battled back from 0-2 down to nip the Alaska Aces and win
the Governors’ Cup championship.
Undaunted with Sta. Lucia’s failure to get the job done the
last time, coach Boyet Fernandez declares the Realtors will go for broke in
their quest for a first league title in seven years.
"We will be back in Game 7," said the tough, young mentor. "Maikli
man o mahaba (series), basta sa huli amin ang championship, maligaya kami."
From Sta. Lucia taking a 2-0 lead early in the series, the
endgame spat between coach Fernandez and Purefoods guard Roger Yap, to the
flagrant foul-2 called on James Yap and Joseph Yeo that led to their Game 5
suspensions, the series–the second straight time that a Finals will be decided
via a Game 7 after the 2007 Fiesta Conference between Alaska and Talk N Text–has
not been lacking in histrionics, igniting the fire leading to a wild-and-wooly
finish to a series between two of the PBA’s top defensive teams.
Kelly Williams, Sta. Lucia’s prized sophomore, grabbed 17 off
the glass but was hardly a factor on points, limited to only nine points by the
pesky Roger Yap (11 rebounds) defense as he went 3-of-11 from the field.
Kerby Raymundo was outscored by Dennis Espino, 9-22, but made
up for it by recording a career-high 11 assists to go with six rebounds.
"I think they’re (the Realtors) destructed. I saw the
balloons in the ceiling. My prayer was for the balloons not to fall down.
Probably they thought we’re just gonna roll over and die, but we have a solid
heart and we don’t back down from challenges," Gregorio said. Fernandez admitted
Sta. Lucia was a bit tight, but said his team has overcome the jitters and is
now ready for the tough battle ahead.
"Maybe it was just the prospect of winning a championship right away that
made us tight," said the Sta. Lucia mentor. "But the pressure is now over. At
least, by Game 7, I hope everything will be different."
