MANILA—Odds are about even when multi-titlist Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants and one-time champion Sta. Lucia Realty collide in the first game today of the best-of-seven championship series for the 33rd Smart-PBA Philippine Cup crown at the Araneta Coliseum.
Even as both coach Ryan Gregorio of Purefoods and coach Boyet Fernandez of Sta. Lucia refused to predict how long the series will last, both agreed that it’s going to be tough and physical.
“We don’t mind playing physical. What I wanted to clarify is it should be consistent,” said Gregorio, who is eyeing the Giants’ 5th All-Filipino crown, a feat that may tie them with the now defunct Crispa Redmanizers.
Gregorio, who owned two conference titles as a coach including an All-Filipino crown in 2006, said they are prepared for any physical match as long as it is going to be fair for both team.
Fernandez, however, said the physical scenario is part of the game and the Realtors are already conditioned to the system being professional players.
“This is a professional league. That is how it is being played here,” said Fernandez, who steered the Realtors to their third finals appearance and first in an All-Filipino conference in just his second year as a coach.
The Realtors, whose best finish in an All-Filipino was third in 1995 and 1997, will meet the eight-time titlist Giants at 7:20 p.m.
Losing semifinalists Alaska Aces and Red Bull Barakos face each other in a knockout battle for third place at 4:50 p.m.
Both 2006 MVP James Yap and Kerby Raymundo, the only Giants who made it to the top 10 overall in the conference, refuted insinuations that they are already tired because of playing too many minutes in the best-of-seven semifinals against Red Bull.
“After reaching the finals, which is actually our objective since the start of the conference, we did not feel any fatigue anymore. The finals is already a different story. What we have gone through in the semis, we have forgotten it now,” said Yap and Raymundo, both members of the RP squad that played in the 2008 FIBA-Asia championship.
Veterans Marlou Aquino and Dennis Espino, both original members of the Realtors that won their first and only title in 2001, said they are more hungry for the title having waited for already seven years. (FCC)
