‘Strange series’ reaches climax

JAPETH Aguilar of Ginebra blocks the shot of Christian Standhardinger of San Miguel Beer during Game 4 of their Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup best-of-seven finals showdown Friday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. The Kings prevailed, 130-100. ROMAN PROSPERO

After trading jabs in the first four games, San Miguel Beer and Ginebra are poised to deliver a haymaker when they clash in crucial Game 5 of their Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup best-of-seven finals showdown today at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Game time is at 6:30 pm with the Beermen and Kings out to shatter their 2-2 tie as this mid-season conference titular duel turns into a race-to-two battle with only the strongest, the toughest emerging as the last team standing.

Unlike in the first four games, where both teams booked a whopping 30-point winning margin, Game 5 is tipped to be a rumble with the winner inching closer to the coveted crown.

Even Tim Cone, the league’s most successful mentor, is puzzled with the way things are going in this battle between two squads under the San Miguel Corp. umbrella.

Cone said whoever would have a blazing start would surely emerge victorious.

“It’s been a strange series. It seems like the team that can grab momentum is the team that is able to keep it rolling so far,” said Cone, who averted a potential 1-3 series deficit with a 130-100 victory in Game 4.

“I’m as shocked as everybody over this series. So what’s going to happen in Game 5? That’s anybody’s guess. I don’t know. I can’t even imagine what’s gonna happen.”

As weird as it is, the oddity started when Ginebra stunned the highly-favored San Miguel, 127-99, in Game 1 before the Beermen exacted a fitting revenge with a gigantic 134-109 win in Game 3 followed by a 132-94 victory in Game 4.

But when Ginebra posted a 30-point win in Game 5, Cone, who has been in the league for 29 years, couldn’t help but to shake his head in disbelief.

“It kind of reminds me of the (Houston) Rockets and (Golden State) Warriors finals,” said the American mentor, referring to the memorable Western Conference finals battle between the Rockets and the Warriors last May.

“I think five of seven games were like blowouts and there were really two close games. That is kind of similar to what’s happening in this series so far.”

Cone, nevertheless, likes their chances as his wards are in a perfect position to pull off a sucker punch before going for the kill in Game 6 on Wednesday.

“Right now, you tell me before this series we would be 2-2, I’d be very happy,” he said.

“Our goal is to push them to seven games. That’s been our goal. We got one step closer to getting to that goal.”

In contrast with the way the series has been rolling, San Miguel mentor Leo Austria believes that the mighty Beermen have finally met their match.

“Tim is right before that his team is the only team that could beat San Miguel. That’s very evident last game. Ginebra lived up to their billing as NSD — Never Say Die,” Austria said after the Beermen trailed by as many as 38 points in Game 4.

Despite being unbeaten in their first six finals appearances, the Beermen’s bid for seventh crown is in danger and Austria is attesting to that as the once seemingly indestructible squad is now getting worried.

“Our team has a chance to go on and dominate the league. A lot are talking about us as a super team, strong team. But you can see now, Ginebra is also a strong team,” he said.

“I’m a little bit worried because it’s now best-of-three and the crowd will be a factor. They will be having their sixth man. I hope my team realizes what is at stake and what we worked hard for in the past three months.”

Leading the charge for Ginebra is newly-crowned Best Import Justin Brownlee, who wreaked havoc in Game 4 with a near triple-double of 37 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists.

Greg Slaughter, Joe Devance and LA Tenorio are tipped to provide local support to match the powerful charge of Best Player of the Conference June Mar Fajardo, Christian Standhardinger, Chris Ross, Alex Cabagnot and import Renaldo Balkman.