The inevitable showdown

It’s a match-up that had to happen. Destiny brought the flagship teams of two giant conglomerates to the battlefield to dispute the PBA Commissioner’s Cup championship in a best-of-7 series starting at the Smart Araneta Coliseum tonight. The collision was inevitable. TNT is back in the finals for the first time since the 2017 Commissioner’s Cup and ends a five-conference absence from the Last Dance. San Miguel Beer is fresh from bagging the Philippine Cup and has a chance to capture a Grand Slam this season but it will take two more jewels to seal it.

If the title playoffs go the distance, Game 7 will be on Sunday, Aug. 18. Game 2 is set on Wednesday, Game 3 on Friday and Game 4 next Sunday. If necessary, Game 5 will be on Wednesday, Aug. 14 and Game 6 on Friday, Aug. 16. Every contest will be at the Big Dome.

TNT has been a dominant force throughout the conference, racking up a 14-3 record. The KaTropa finished the elims on top of the roost, losing only once to NorthPort. The near-sweep included a 110-97 decision over San Miguel but that was when Charles Rhodes was still the Beermen’s import.

With Rhodes, San Miguel got off to a poor 2-5 start, prompting the call for a replacement. Since Chris McCullough’s arrival, San Miguel has compiled an 8-2 record to signal a dramatic reversal of fortunes. He’s a perfect fit for San Miguel, making it easier for coach Leo Austria to juggle his combinations either big or small. McCullough plays three or four and is comfortable with either June Mar Fajardo or Christian Standhardinger or both on the floor.

The road to the finals was far from smooth for San Miguel which was a lowly No. 7 seed entering the quarters. But the Beermen have made it to the big stage somehow and Austria knows how important it is not just to win the title but to beat TNT.

What makes the match-up even more intriguing is the duel between two former NBA first round picks, a rarity in the PBA. Since the PBA opened shop in 1975, there have been less than 50 NBA first rounders to fly in as imports. That’s not even 10 percent of the imports who’ve played in the PBA. The list includes Arnett Moultrie, Renaldo Balkman, Dickey Simpkins, Scott Burrell, Leon Wood, Glenn McDonald, Byron Houston, Dennis Hopson, Michael Young, DerMarr Johnson, David Thirdkill, Wes Matthews, Mario Bennett, Rashad McCants, Chris Morris, Rob Williams, George Trapp, Freeman Williams, Kenny Payne, Rodrick Rhodes, Johnny Taylor, Derrick Chievous, Alfrederick Hughes and Billy Thompson.

So for two NBA first rounders to face off in the same PBA finals isn’t just a rarity. It’s a treat. McCullough was the Brooklyn Nets’ first round pick in the 2015 draft while TNT’s Terrence Jones was the Houston Rockets’ first round pick in the 2012 draft. McCullough, 24, played in 59 games for Brooklyn and Washington over three seasons and earned $3.8 million. Jones, 27, saw action in 234 games for Houston, New Orleans and Milwaukee over six seasons and bankrolled $8.3 million. They’re both itching to return to the NBA and winning the PBA title will be a glowing addition to their resume.

There’s also talk of bad blood among players. San Miguel’s Terrence Romeo wasn’t too happy with his recent TNT stint and his mission to beat the KaTropa is probably more personal than professional. Two other former TNT players now in a San Miguel uniform are Matt Ganuelas Rosser and Yancy de Ocampo. San Miguel assistant coach Jimmy Alapag also came from TNT. On the other hand, TNT’s Brian Heruela, David Semerad and Jay Washington used to play for San Miguel.

The coaches on both sides will make the finals an interesting chess match. Austria is backstopped by Peter Martin, Biboy Ravanes, Boycie Zamar, Ato Agustin, Jorge Gallent, Dayong Mendoza and Alapag. Calling the shots for TNT is active coaching consultant Mark Dickel who played for coach Tab Baldwin when New Zealand reached the semifinals of the FIBA World Cup in 2002. Dickel’s staff lists head coach Bong Ravena, Sandy Arrespacochaga, Josh Reyes, Yuri Escueta and NBA veteran Alton Lister.

The last time TNT and San Miguel crossed paths in the finals was in the 2016-17 Commissioner’s Cup. The Beermen won in six games. Still in TNT’s roster from that campaign are Ryan Reyes, R. R. Pogoy, Harvey Carey, Frank Golla, Jayson Castro, Troy Rosario, Kelly Williams (injured) and Tony Semerad (injured). With San Miguel remain Alex Cabagnot, Chris Ross, Marcio Lassiter (injured), Fajardo, Arwind Santos, Ronald Tubid and De Ocampo.

Breaking down the stats, it appears that the match-up is a classic clash between an offensive team and a defensive team. In San Miguel’s 10 wins, the Beermen averaged 108.6 points but in their seven setbacks, the norm plunged to 100.1. The loss average could’ve been much lower if not for San Miguel scoring 132 points in a losing overtime cause to Columbian. For TNT, the KaTropa held opponents to an average of 89.6 points in its 14 wins and gave up an average of 99.3 in its three losses.

Rosario’s activity on both ends will be a cause for San Miguel’s concern and whom Austria will assign to check him is critical. Will it mean more minutes for Santos? Heruela will surely be unleashed to contain Ross or Cabagnot while Rosser or Tubid may be options in defending Castro. Without Williams, TNT will be challenged to stop Fajardo and Standhardinger so Dickel has to devise a defensive scheme to keep the interior under control. How both imports will operate as the locals get more involved in the action is something to watch. Depth and health will be crucial factors as players from both teams try to push themselves to the limit in what could be a war of attrition.