MOMENT OF TRUTH: La Salle, UP kick off UAAP finals showdown

Game today:

(Smart Araneta Coliseum)

5:30 p.m. — La Salle vs UP

Repeat-seeking De La Salle University clashes against a full-strength and hungry University of the Philippines (UP) to determine who will reign supreme in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 87 men’s basketball tournament.

Past results won’t matter anymore when the Green Archers and the Fighting Maroons meet in pivotal Game 1 of their best-of-three championship rematch today at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The same protagonists of last year’s titular showdown that went the full distance will rekindle their fiery rivalry at 5:30 p.m. in front of an expected packed crowd.

La Salle, which topped the elimination round, is primed up for the much-anticipated grudge match by routing Adamson University in the Final Four a week ago.

Back-to-back Most Valuable Player Kevin Quiambao braces for a tougher time dealing with the Fighting Maroons despite the Green Archers sweeping them in the elimination round.

“I think, coming to this finals, right now it’s back to 0-0. No matter the results of games in Round 1 and Round 2, we’re starting again back to square one,” Quiambao said. “We have to be more focused. Focused on each and every single detail and come prepared.”

Quiambao has veterans Mike Phillips, Joshua David, CJ Austria and JC Macalalag to back him up.

“This is the finals. You have to give everything for your school in the last two or three games of the season. If won’t go all-out you might regret it in the future.

The Green Archers are particularly wary of the Fighting Maroons parading their full arsenal.

La Salle defeated UP, 68-56, in the first round without top guard JD Cagulungan due to an undisclosed injury. The Green Archers again topped the Fighting Maroons, 77-66, with big man Quentin Millora-Brown skipping the game to attend his grandfather’s funeral in the US.

Both will be present this time.

“Again, what’s obvious during those first two meetings was, you know, UP didn’t have a complete lineup. I guess that’s one thing we haven’t seen,” La Salle head coach Topex Robinson said.

The second-year mentor, however, wants his wards to focus on the things they have control of.

“I keep on telling this, that we don’t know what they will do. We don’t have control of what they will do. We have full control of what we’re gonna do heading into the finals. That’s what we want to do,” he said.

UP, on the other hand, has already moved on from their pair of setbacks against La Salle in the eliminations.

“What’s good in the finals is that we start at 0-0. It’s a best-of-3 series,” Fighting Maroons mentor Goldwin Monteverde said.

UP is very capable of bringing down the Green Archers just like in the pre-season league when it beat La Salle twice including in the winner-take-all championship.

The Fighting Maroons booted out University of Santo Tomas in the Final Four for their fourth straight finals appearance.

After back-to-back bride’s maid finishes, UP is pulling out all the stops to reclaim the crown it last won in Season 84.

“We feel the pain of those two runner-up finishes. But that’s our motivation this season,” UP gunner Harold Alarcon said.

Aside from Alarcon, the Fighting Maroons are also banking on Millora-Brown, Cagulangan, Season 86 Rookie of the Year Francis Lopez, Gerry Abadiano and Reyland Torres.

“Everyone knows that there’s going to be sacrifices that need to be made. Just being prepared to do whatever it takes,” the 6-foot-10 one-and-done center Millora-Brown said.

Game 2 of the series is on Wednesday.