Mother of all battles

MANILA, Philippines — It’s been all hard work and sacrifices since June and now it comes down to four quarters or so of solid basketball for the last two teams in a tight tug-of-war for the PBA’s crown jewel.

Defending champion TNT and former kingpin San Miguel Beer, two corporate giants entangled in a stalemate through six tough matches, let it all out as they take one final shot at the coveted Philippine Cup diadem.

The deciding Game 7 is set at 6 p.m. at the Smart Araneta Coliseum with the Tropang Giga aiming for back-to-back crowns and seventh PBA championship overall and the Beermen seeking a return to the top after a three-year drought.

“Sinasabi ko sa kanila, we’ve been training for the last three months and this is it. Kailangang ilabas na ninyo ang A-game ninyo. This is the opportunity and we don’t know if makakabalik pa rito,” said SMB coach Leo Austria, who is looking to guide a new-look crew composed of holdovers June Mar Fajardo, Marcio Lassiter and Chris Ross and new faces Vic Manuel, Jericho Cruz, Simon Enciso and Rodney Brondial to the throne.

The Beermen forced a sudden death last Friday with an emphatic 114-96 Game 6 romp, riding on the sizzling sniping of Lassiter and Enciso to make it 3-3 against the Jayson Castro-less Tropang Giga.

Castro suffered a sprained right ankle in the fifth game last Wednesday and though in uniform for the clincher attempt, TNT coaches and medical team deemed it best to sit him out in the sixth match.

“Hindi pa 100 percent kasi ilang araw pa lang. But Game 7 is Game 7, lahat ng players gusto laruan yan. Ita-try ko yung best ko para makatulong sa team,” said the seasoned playmaker and TNT’s reliable stabilizer and closer.

With Castro watching on the bench along with another injured player, Glenn Khobuntin, the Tropang Giga fell behind early, 40-24, trailed by as many as 26, and couldn’t breach the nine-point barrier.

“Yan naman ang advantage ng 3-2. Kapag natalo ka ng Game 6, may isang game pa, may isang chance ka pa na makuha ang championship,” said RR Pogoy, who carried the load for the Chot Reyes-coached TNT squad with 31 points with Castro out and Mikey Williams held to his career-low two points in Game 6.

For the Tropang Giga to have a better chance of nailing the clincher on the second try, they have to start off strong on both ends.