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IT will
be experience versus determination.
Purefoods Tender Juicy, the experienced team, and Sta.
Lucia Realty, the determined squad, begin their duel for
the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine
Cup tonight at the Araneta Coliseum.
Game One
of the best-of-seven championship series begins at 7:20
p.m., with the Giants undeniably holding a slight
advantage over the Realtors who are in their first
finals appearance in an All-Filipino tournament.
In the
opener at
4:50 p.m., Alaska
and Red Bull square off in a knockout game for third
place.
Purefoods’ Ryan Gregorio is trying to
become the first coach of the franchise to win two
All-Filipino titles while Sta. Lucia’s Boyet
Fernandez is seeking his first crown as a coach.
“Since
Day One, our goal is always to be the No. 1 team. We did
that in the preseason and after the elimination round.
It’s now a challenge for us to prove that we’re really
the best team in the tournament,” said Gregorio.
The
Giants defeated the Barakos in a grueling semifinal
series that questioned Purefoods’s stamina and strength
particularly its 1-2 punch, James Yap and Kerby Raymundo.
“Minsan
lang dumating ang pagkakataon na ito sa player.
Hindi mo na iisipin ang pagod ’pag nandito ka na,”
said
Yap, who played with a hurting knee in the semifinal series
against Red Bull.
Fernandez, who once suited up for Purefoods, declared
his Realtors are up to the challenge especially his
veterans.
“Nobody
expected us to be here. That’s why I’m telling my
players that we’ll prove to them that we deserve to be
here,” said Fernandez, whose wards shocked a
more-experienced Aces crew in the semifinals.
Marlou
Aquino, Dennis Espino and Paolo Mendoza are the only
remaining members of the Sta. Lucia squad that won its
first and only PBA title—the 2001 Governor’s Cup then
mentored by Norman Black.
“Malaki
ang tiwala ko na kaya namin silang talunin. Noong
nagkaharap kami, wala pang chemistry ’yung
team,” said Aquino.
The
Giants swept the Realtors in the elimination round, but
Gregorio stressed the championship series is a different
story.
“Sta.
Lucia is carrying the best winning streak in the
conference [eight games]. Grabe ang gung-ho
attitude at never-say-die spirit ng team
na ito,” said Gregorio, whose last PBA crown was
the 2006 Philippine Cup which he won at Red Bull’s
expense.
The
overachieving Realtors, only in their third finals
appearance since joining the league in 1993, will pin
their hopes on explosive Filipino-American forward Kelly
Williams and the savvy of rookie point guard Ryan Reyes,
the hero of Game Seven in the semifinals.
“The
team is very happy to be here.
Sana lang huwag makuntento ang team na nasa finals na kami.
As long as we play our defense, I think we have a good
chance against against Purefoods,” said
Fernandez. |
