A test of wills

If Game 1 of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals is any indication, it will be an exhausting, mythic test of wills for both teams. The come-from-behind victory of the Aces was a testament to both their endurance and persistence, and the willingness to keep pounding away at an intimidating lead. San Miguel Beer led by 22 points in the first half and 14 in the second half, but Alaska gradually overcame those deficits with grit and poise. Though it’s too early to tell, if Alaska does win, it will be their third championship in a row with a different coach, after Tim Cone and Luigi Trillo. 

By the time you read this, Game 2 would have also been finished, and either the Aces have jumped to a strong 2-0 start, or the series is tied. Either way, let’s examine some of the factors that made a difference in Game 1 and will influence the rest of the series.

Stamina would be a big factor. Remember that San Miguel Beer is coming off a long lay-off, and some of its players were out of breath earlier than usual in Game 1. The Beermen also relied heavily on June Mar Fajardo, who played a team-high 47 minutes Wednesday night. The Beermen lost opportunities to put away the game in the fourth quarter, and that may hurt them for the rest of the series. But on the other hand, there are a lot of young players on both sides, and even their superior endurance would have been neutralized by the adrenaline rush. Physically, both teams are almost equal.

One reason why San Miguel head coach Leo Austria was optimistic he could turn things around in less than 48 hours was that what did him in were little mistakes in the endgame. Taking the fourth quarter in its own, the Beermen suffered from poor shot selection and lack of recognition, mostly of emerging patterns and positioning in transition. On a close game, you would rather sin by omission -– taking things slowly, waiting for everyone to get into position even if you have an open shot – than by commission, gambling on a big play or rushing matters in confusion. Those little acts of impulse made the big difference.

Also, for both teams (but more so the Beermen), they found themselves out of position on at least three occasions offensively and at least twice defensively in the last few minutes. Luckily for Alaska, they read the openings better. For the younger players, it’s understandable because of the excitement of the first time in a Finals. For San Miguel Beer, those little tweaks only mean they will get progressively better as the series goes on.

Marcio Lassiter, Alex Cabagnot and Arwind Santos have not been known to have mediocre games in succession, which augurs well for the Beermen. Santos has told this writer that none of his other accolades would mean anything if he can’t bring the Beermen another championship. If they perform well it will also take some of the defensive pressure off Fajardo, who missed a crucial free throw in regulation. Alaska was able to throw different defensive looks at Fajardo because the other Beermen had not proven their consistency in the game.

One thing is for certain: things will get even more physical. There is a lot of pressure on both teams. After all, these are the two franchises with the most number of championships in PBA history. San Miguel Corporation is commemorating its 125th year of business in the Philippines; Alaska is celebrating its 30th year in the PBA. There is more at stake than just a finals series.

What this writer also finds impressive is the solid, consistent performance of Dondon Hontiveros. As far back as the late 1990’s, Hontiveros was a star on his hometown Cebu Gems in the Metropolitan Basketball Association. The athletic 6’2” guard with the huge hands was in his early 20s and was already being scouted by PBA teams, specifically San Miguel Beer and Alaska. In fact, he even drew flak for wearing San Miguel Beer shorts during the practice for the MBA All-Star Game in Cebu. Imagine, that was more than a decade and a half ago. Many of those players are history. Hontiveros is still bent on making history.

Other former MBA players who have had (long careers in the PBA include PJ Simon, Winnie Arboleda, John Ferriols, Dorian Peña, Raffy Reavis. Alex Compton and Ginebra’s returning head coach Ato Agustin are the only current head coaches who have played in both the MBA and the PBA. Compton was allowed to play as a second import in the PBA after the MBA folded, while Agustin, the 1992 PBA MVP (the shortest in history up to that point), led the Pampanga Dragons to the inaugural MBA championship in 1998.

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