The end is nigh

The climax of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals is coming close. It will end tonight if San Miguel Beer fashions another win over TNT. If the Tropang 5G survives Game 6, the finish line of the Last Lap in the Race for Golden Glory will be crossed at the MOA Arena on Wednesday.

There’s no telling how Game 6 will play out because the series has been extremely unpredictable. TNT took Game 1 by five and Game 4 by 23. SMB won Game 2 by 19, Game 3 by six and Game 5 by 14. Before Game 5 at the Ynares Center, Antipolo, last Friday, SMB established offense as its winning formula, averaging 103 points in two victories and 89 in two losses. But in Game 5, SMB tightened the screws on defense to hold TNT to its lowest output in the Finals, delivering a 96-82 masterpiece.

SMB coach Leo Austria went back to his traditional starting cast in Game 5, reinstating Rodney Brondial who’d come off the bench since the series opener. Brondial started in 15 of SMB’s first 16 games this conference then joined the second unit the next six until last Friday. Chris Ross also got back his starting position after a reliever’s role in Game 4. It was Austria’s message that he’ll stick with his usual starters when the time comes to clinch.

Brondial put on an incredible performance as a reconstituted starter. He led SMB in scoring and rebounding with 17 points and 15 rebounds in 33:40 minutes. What brought the SMB fans to their feet was Brondial’s grit. Battling cramps, he limped his way from defense to offense then knocked down a booming triple to push SMB on top, 90-76 with 4:19 to go. He was subbed out less than a minute later and rode the bench with teammates applauding his efforts until the final buzzer. For the conference, Brondial is averaging 5.7 points, 6.5 rebounds and 21:01 minutes so his numbers in Game 5 were a serious upgrade.

If TNT was surprised by Brondial’s emergence, Kris Rosales was another unexpected detonation. Rosales, 35, started his PBA career with TNT and after two seasons, bounced from Rain or Shine to NLEX to NorthPort and finally, SMB. Note that he was drafted by Barako Bull on the second round in 2015 and had a stint with the Singapore Slingers before settling in the PBA. In Game 5, Rosales compiled a conference-high 12 points and four assists in 26:10 minutes. He was scoreless in Games 1 and 2 and didn’t even play in Game 3. In the Finals, Rosales had scored only four points and collected two assists with no rebound in averaging 7:13 minutes before Game 5. Austria knew that Rosales could withstand TNT’s backcourt pressure with his toughness and rolled the dice. The gamble paid off.

SMB went back to its essentials in Game 5, dominating the boards, 51-36, breaking out in transition, 11-0, powering for paint points, 46-22, smoking from the bench, 42-27 and capitalizing on TNT’s turnovers, 17-10. Seven Beermen scored in double figures as SMB’s balanced attack left TNT’s vaunted defense in disarray. It’s Reyes’ turn to adjust in Game 6 tonight. SMB will be out to seal the deal but TNT is determined to force a Game 7.