Batangas coach Nash Racela outwitted his counterpart in the first two games of their best-of-five series, counting on the unlikely pair of Eddie Laure and Tonyboy Espinosa in the opener (88-85) and a shackling defense in the second game (85-74).
Laure and Espinosa each scored seven points in the final quarter to key the Blades’ come-from-behind win in the first game in Batangas. The northern conference titlists then held their rivals to just three points in the last seven minutes of the second game to prevail, this time at the Mail & More in San Andres..
But just when they thought they had heard the last of the Slashers, the southern conference champions came roaring back with vengeance, foiling the Blades’ sweep bid with an 80-71 victory at home in Game Three.
In that game, Negros coach Robert Sison called on the wondrous shooting hands of Reynel Hugnatan, whose double-double performance – 20 points and 20 rebounds – anchored the Slashers’ victory and netted him the hardcourt hero of the week honors from the MBA press corps.
Sison also unravelled a package in Dino Aldeguer, whose fourth quarter explosion (13 points) helped power the Slashers’ triumph that cut the Blades lead to 1-2.
"Our win in Game 3 was really a big morale-boost for us," said Sison.
Like in the first three games, the crowd will again be a factor although both coaches are expected to spring more surprises and come up with new combinations to unsettle each other’s play patterns.