Now or never for Blu, ICTSI-La Salle

Blu Sun Power and ICTSI- La Salle duel in a crucial playoff today with the winner earning the right to face Ateneo—Hapee-Negros Navigation for the best-of-five championship series of the 2002 PBL Chairman’s Cup at the Pasig Sports Center.

With the Eagles waiting in the wings, the Archers and the Detergent Kings pulled off heart-stopping victories Wednesday to set up at 4 p.m. for a place in the best-of-five finals.

Blu Sun Power found a gem in Lou Gatumbato in surviving a Kutitap Toothpaste challenge, 73-72, while La Salle leaned on James Yap, a shooter out of University of the East, to down Ateneo, 82-77.

"This game will boil down to which team needed the win more," said Pumaren, who engineered the Archers to an amazing UAAP four-peat. "The team which shows character in this game deserves to play in the finals."

Blu mentor Leo Isaac, for his part, said the franchise is hungry enough to take the next big step into an elusive finals appearance.

‘This franchise is longing to make it to the finals," said Isaac. "And now we’re this close of achieving this goal after four years of heartaches."