THERE ought to be a coaching formula to protect a 21-point lead in basketball.
It is so difficult to build that kind of lead — only to see it vanish in the end.
This is a curse common in both the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) and the USA’s National Basketball Association (NBA).
When it hits, the sulking team falls into fits of depression, suffers a sleepless night and gets ostracized for days. Naturally.
It happens because the beleaguered coach whose team is 21 points down has the key to overhauling such a massive margin?
Or is the coach with a 21-point lead that frigging stupid and should be entirely blamed for the loss?
Well, most likely, yes.
When a ship sinks, the captain takes the blame. Mostly.
When a plane crashes, the pilot takes the blame. Mostly.
When a bus plunges into a ravine, the driver takes the blame. Mostly.
The captain, pilot and the driver are usually absolved only when a mechanical failure has caused the mishap.
On Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, it happened again.
Meralco had built a 21-point lead, 52-31, over TNT in the second quarter.
That should have given the Bolts enough leeway to defeat the 5G in Game One of their best-of-seven PBA semifinals for the Philippine Cup.
But no.
With 2 minutes and 30.9 seconds left, TNT was suddenly up, 96-91.
Salute to TNT coach Chot Reyes.
And although Meralco had inched to within 95-96 at the 1:28 mark, Calvin Oftana sank four straight charities in the last 21.1 seconds on fouls by CJ Cancino and Brandon Rios, respectively, for TNT’s 100-95 victory.
Luigi Trillo is the listed coach of Meralco. But how come there is this Caucasian-looking dude consistently presiding over Meralco timeouts? Consultant? Ummm.
Now, in Sunday’s other semifinal opener at the jam-packed Smart Araneta Coliseum, Barangay Ginebra outlasted San Miguel Beer, 99-90, as the Beermen self-destructed in the endgame.
But the Gin Kings’ win was more of a creation by RJ Abarrientos — again — than anything.
The bearded playmaker topscored once more with his 23 points, giving him now a total of 78 points in his last three games — counting his 35 and 20 when Ginebra ousted Converge in the quarterfinals.
See you on Wednesday’s Game Two — with high hopes of not seeing a 21-point lead disappear just like that.
It makes me sick.