SMB seeks win, momentum

Coaches Yeng Guiao and Jong Uichico have been in their present situations before, thus, it’s safe to say they know how to stir their players’ emotion and fire them up for the crucial game at hand.

San Miguel is still a game behind but Red Bull will be short-handed minus a key player in Kerby Raymundo when the two teams play Game Four of their best-of-seven showdown for the PBA Commissioner’s Cup championship at the Araneta Coliseum today.

Guiao and Uichico agreed the 6:30 p.m. match will be pivotal, it could well decide the outcome of the series.

"They (the Thunder) need to win Sunday or we’ll even things up. If we pull even, we’ll completely turn the complexion of the series in our favor. The momentum will already be on our side going into Game Five," said Uichico.

"The good thing is that we won the first two games and so we’d got a cushion for the expected comeback of San Miguel. But we should not let them win again Sunday dahil mawawala na ang cushion namin at siguradong lamang na sila sa laban," said Guiao.

Guiao will miss the services of Raymundo as the gangling slotman out of Letran was fined P20,000 and suspended for a game for his punching foul on Dorian Pena in the fight-marred Game Three Friday.

Sanctioned with a fine of P10,000 each were Red Bull’s Ato Agustin and San Miguel’s Pena and Dwight Lago for their misconduct during the fray.

Five other personalities, including Guiao, were likewise fined in the Tony Lang-Nic Belasco scuffle in Game Two. Guiao was fined P15,000 on his altercation with Belasco, who, on the other hand, drew a P2,500 fine for his hard foul on Lang. Red Bull assistant coaches Rhoel Nadurata and Gil Lumberio and player Lordy Tugade were assessed P2,000 penalties for entering the court during the commotion.

As in the aftermath of the Mick Pennisi flagrant foul on Boyet Fernandez in Game Three of the Red Bull-Purefoods semis playoff earlier, Guiao expects his team only to hear more catcalls from the predominantly San Miguel crowd when they return to play tonight.

But the Red Bull mentor is hopeful his players, just like in the Purefoods series, can handle the situation and probably overcome the odds again to move on the verge of completing what could be remembered as one of the biggest upsets in league history.

"The 10,000 San Miguel crowd will not decide the outcome of the series but only ourselves. Kami-kami lang ang magtutulungan para talunin ang San Miguel," said Guiao.

In Game Three, Red Bull missed a chance to send San Miguel in a hole no team has ever climbed off to win a championship as the Thunder floundered with 26 turnovers to the Beermen’s 12. Red Bull averaged only 17.5 errors in the first two games.

The Beermen brandished their old champion’s heart, outhustling and outplaying the Thunder at the finish.