Coaches brace for bitter war

Traditionally, the hot seat is reserved for the favored team in a Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) finals. That’s why opposing coaches Norman Black of Sta. Lucia Realty and Joseph Uichico of San Miguel Beer are downplaying their chances in the best-of-seven Governors Cup title series starting tonight. They’d rather be underdogs – wooing the fans’ sympathy.

"I don’t think we’re favored," says Uichico who has led San Miguel to seven finals in the last eight conferences and is shooting for his sixth career title. "When we played Sta. Lucia in the Second Conference finals last year, maybe we were favored because of our championship experience. But now, they’ve got that experience, too. Size-wise, they’re a lot taller. They’ve got an advantage at almost every position. They match up well against us."

Black won’t debate Uichico on which team is favored. "You don’t win games in the newspapers but on the court," says Black who has bagged nine PBA championships – all for San Miguel, the last in the 1994 All-Filipino. "We didn’t play the last five finals – they did. They’ve been winning all those titles, not us. So how can they not be favored?"

Black, 44, and Uichico, 39, are no strangers to each other. Uichico was Black’s chief assistant at San Miguel from 1992 to 1997. They don’t expect too many surprises in the finals – there are few secrets between them. And that’s what makes the duel even more interesting.

"I learned a lot from Norman," says Uichico. "Sure, I know his style but he’s got two active assistants on the bench. Alfrancis (Chua) and Franz (Pumaren) make Sta. Lucia difficult to read because their styles are different from Norman’s."

Black doesn’t care if the series ends in four or seven, "as long as Sta. Lucia wins. Execution is the key to victory. It will come down to imposing one’s will over the other," said Black. "We’re both good defensive teams with different philosophies – two teams with contrasting styles. We like to run, they like to play slow down. They double often, we don’t."

Uichico admits it won’t be easy beating Sta. Lucia. "They’ve got too many weapons," he notes. "We might be able to stop (Damien) Owens with our double but what about the others? (Paolo) Mendoza, (Felix) Belano and (Chris) Tan shoot from outside, Marlou (Aquino) cuts in for layups, and Dennis (Espino) hits the 15-foot jumper. It’s a catch-22 situation. Our defense has to be tough for us to win."

Black figures San Miguel can afford to double because Uichico’s big men particularly Danny Ildefonso and Nick Belasco, are quick to rotate. Sta. Lucia doesn’t double as much because the Realtors big men aren’t as nimble. But not to worry, Black says, since Aquino and Espino are gritty one-on-one defenders anyway.

Uichico predicts the finals to end in six or seven and anticipates a bitter struggle.

"Owens could be the best import – he’s quick, athletic, and a solid one-on-one defender," says Uichico. "But Lamont (Strothers) is smart, plays with a lot of heart, and knows how to win. Danny (Seigle) is only 70 to 80 percent but he’s getting stronger. Entering another finals, I still feel nervous. I never feel upbeat. I’m always on guard. I didn’t think we’d make it to the finals especially after we lost four straight in the eliminations. We got lucky to qualify in the top four – maybe that was a sign. I told the guys we shouldn’t waste the opportunity of going to the finals. Are we hungry? Of course. If we weren’t hungry, I don’t think the guys would’ve swept Shell in the semis."

Black says the Realtors got a timely wake-up call when they fell behind, 1-2, in the semis against Pop Cola. "We did some soul-searching," he relates. "We went down because we lost our fire, we had little energy, and we played without intensity in Game 3. But we bounced back. We’re more consistent this year. Paolo’s more confident running the team. Chris has broken out of a down stretch. Dennis and Marlou are 1-2 in the conference MVP statistical standings. They’re motivated – I’m not putting the pressure on them to think about the championship until after we’ve won three games."

What worries Uichico is San Miguel’s seven-day layoff before Game 1 tonight. "We wanted to play last Sunday," he confides. "The long wait has killed our momentum. So what if we’ve won five in a row? In the finals, it’s back to zero – regardless of a winning or a losing streak. Our consolation is the wait has allowed Danny S and Lamont a few extra days to rest."

Uichico confesses that he preferred Pop Cola as an opponent in the finals. "At least if we played Pop Cola, it would’ve been 50-50 but against Sta. Lucia, I don’t think it’s 50-50 because they’ve got the advantage," he says. "We’re a one-dimensional team – we play it slow, proof is we’re last in fastbreak points. Sta. Lucia’s entering the finals with a lot of emotion. That’s a plus for them."

Black isn’t alarmed that Owens, after averaging 32.9 points in the elims and quarters, was limited to only a 17.8 clip in the semis. "We recognized what Pop Cola tried to do – they wanted the ball out of Damien’s hands, they wanted to turn him into a passer," says Black. "Damien adjusted to the defense. He’s just as prolific as ever, one-on-one, but Pop Cola didn’t allow him to operate at the post or the wings. I expect San Miguel to double him just like Pop Cola. We’re prepared for it."

Uichico’s confident the Beermen will step up when it comes to winning time. "Lamont took over in Game 3 of the semis and brought us to the finals," he adds. "Throughout the conference, we’ve had different guys stepping up – Olsen (Racela), Danny I. Freddie Abuda? He’s still down with a sprain – he hasn’t played the last three games. A player who’s stepped up big is Dorian (Pena). I see Dorian playing a key role in the finals, particularly as we’ll need size to battle Sta. Lucia under the boards."

Black says he’s given minutes to shock troopers Francis Adriano and Marvin Ortiguerra in recent games so they’ll be ready for San Miguel. Adriano will be tapped to help Owens defend Strothers while Ortiguerra is another option to work the interior. Black’s concern is whom to tap among the Realtors on defense if Uichico plays Seigle at offguard.