The war begins

Two teams are left to battle for the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) All-Filipino Cup crown and the war begins at the Cuneta Astrodome tonight.

The survivors–Coca-Cola and Talk ‘N’ Text–squared off twice in the double-round eliminations. The Tigers drew first blood, 79-78, then the Phone Pals avenged the loss via a 91-87 decision. In the quarterfinals, Coca-Cola stuck it to coach Joel Banal once more, 94-91.

Banal, 45, will never forget his baptism of fire as a rookie coach. He made his debut on the Phone Pals bench the night Coca-Cola hacked out a 79-78 squeaker last April 12. Banal bounced back from the heartbreaker to string up five straight wins and quickly stamped his mark as a coach-to-watch.

Now, Banal is on the threshold of making history. He took over the Phone Pals’ reins from Paul Woolpert midway the eliminations and is in line to become only the second interim coach to capture a PBA championship. Banal will relinquish his post at the end of the best-of-7 Finals to reassume his job at Ateneo, seeking a second consecutive University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) plum.

But wait. Tigers coach Chot Reyes, 39, isn’t about to be upstaged by an upstart. Reyes steered Coca-Cola to the All-Filipino Cup title last season–a historic feat in itself as it came during the Tigers’ rookie year. Reyes, too, is on the verge of making history. No team has won back-to-back All-Filipino championships since Great Taste did the trick in 1985–18 years ago.

Here are the 15 critical factors that will decide the series.

• Firepower. Both teams like to score in transition. They’ve got the weapons to pile up the points. But Talk ‘N’ Text is particularly awesome in offense, mainly because of the league’s leading scorer Asi Taulava. The Phone Pals are averaging 90.6 points to rank No. 2 in the production department. Advantage: TNT.

•Defense. This is Coca-Cola’s trump card. Reyes is a master of confusing the enemy by mixing defensive tactics. He’ll throw a suffocating trap when you’re not looking. He’ll signal for a zone when you’re expecting a man defense. He’ll call for a man-to-man when you’re ready to break the zone. No wonder the Tigers are No. 2 in defense, allowing only 82.6 points. The Phone Pals are last in this category, giving up 89.4 a game. Advantage: Coca-Cola.

• Rebounding. Banal’s frontline is frightening. The Phone Pals are the league’s runaway leaders in boardwork. They’re averaging a whopping 21 offensive rebounds and 13 second chance points an outing. Taulava, Harvey Carey, and Mark Telan make a formidable combo under the boards. Advantage: TNT.

• Playmaking. Reyes and Banal put a premium on unselfish play. That’s why Coca-Cola and Talk ‘N’ Text rank 1-2 in assists, in that order. With Johnny Abarrientos at the helm, the Tigers operate like a well-oiled machine. No one orchestrates better than the Flying A. Ato Morano and Leo Avenido are capable backups. In contrast, rookie Jimmy Alapag is still wet behind the ears and his reliever Felix Belano likes to shoot more than pass. Advantage: Coca-Cola.

• Bench. The Phone Pals suffered a blow when Norman Gonzalez and Noli Locsin were suspended after testing positive for drug use. Their absence will tell in a long series. The Tigers let go of Jojo Manalo late in the eliminations, as if to confirm their depth. Manalo wound up in the Phone Pals roster–providing a personal twist to the Finals. Advantage: Coca-Cola.

• Experience. The Tigers are loaded with veterans who’ve been there and done that. Abarrientos, Poch Juinio, and Jeffrey Cariaso know what playing under championship pressure is all about. Taulava is playing in his first Finals. Banal is a rookie coach and Alapag is a rookie point guard. Advantage: Coca-Cola.

• Coaching. Reyes and Banal are products of Tim Cone’s system at Alaska. They’re both cerebral, cunning and clever. Banal is on a "providential" mission and said "the hand of God" showed Talk ‘N’ Text the way to the Finals. Reyes is a nuts and bolts guy–he’s a fiery motivator in the Pat Riley mold. Banal is probably more like a Phil Jackson, subdued but always on top of the situation. Advantage: Even.

•Desire. The Phone Pals are clearly the hungrier squad. Since buying out Pepsi’s franchise in the 1996 Commissioner’s Cup, the Phone Pals–formerly flying the Mobiline colors–are only in their third Finals. They’ve never won a title, failing in the 1998 Governors Cup and in the Commissioner’s Cup last year. Banal’s boys played their hearts out in the Alaska series–a testimony to that X-factor called desire. Advantage: TNT.

• Guts. Talk ‘N’ Text proved they’re made of tough stuff when they pulled off the miracle overtime win over Alaska in Game 5 of their semis series. The Phone Pals were almost goners in regulation but never gave up. It took a lot of guts for Alapag to perform his heroics, attacking the heart of Alaska’s inside defense in the clutch. The Tigers didn’t feel as much pressure as Talk ‘N’ Text in the semis so the jury is still out on their gustiness. Advantage: TNT.

•Smarts. Making the right decisions is crucial in win-or-lose situations. Playing with smarts doesn’t only mean playing intelligently. It also means playing with presence of mind, the ability to read what the defense offers, the instinct to make the key defensive stop. The floor leader sets the