A different Last Dance

The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Season 50 Governors’ Cup elimination round ended Friday last week in Antipolo City with Rain or Shine routing Phoenix, 133-103, and Barangay Ginebra escaping Blackwater, 101-96.

Both games were practically inconsequential in terms of qualification, with the Elasto Painters and Fuel Masters already assured of quarterfinal berths and the Bossing needing a near-impossible 45-point victory to advance.

But the results produced something far more interesting than mere playoff pairings.

They opened the door to a different kind of PBA Finals.

I was so excited about the possibilities that I immediately shared my thoughts on my public Facebook account, Fidz Mango.

Why?

Because one half of the crossover bracket has Group A top seed NLEX facing Group B fourth seed Phoenix, while Group A No. 3 Converge takes on Group B No. 2 Rain or Shine.

In other words, whoever survives this side of the bracket will advance to the Finals.

And that finalist could be a first-timer — or a franchise that hasn’t been there in a decade.

NLEX, Converge and Phoenix have yet to make it to the PBA Finals. Rain or Shine last appeared in one in the 2016 Commissioner’s Cup, beating Alaska in six games to capture its second championship.

For those clamoring for greater parity in the league and rooting for underdogs to finally get their shot, this is about as good an opportunity as they could ask for.

No independent PBA team has reached the Finals since Rain or Shine’s last appearance 10 years ago.

That 2016 Commissioner’s Cup was also the last time neither a San Miguel Corporation team nor a Manny V. Pangilinan (MVP) franchise made it to the championship series.

The 2016 Governors Cup that followed was the last time a first-time finalist emerged, with Meralco making its maiden appearance against Barangay Ginebra.

Now, a decade later, we could be looking at another breakthrough.

Imagine a Finals without the usual protagonists of recent years, with a team that has never reached the championship stage — or one that has waited 10 long years — finally getting its moment.

For once, the established contenders could find themselves preparing for an unfamiliar opponent in the league’s biggest series.

More importantly, a different Finals matchup could help dispel the duopoly perception many fans have of the PBA, with the league’s biggest prizes seemingly revolving around the three SMC squads and two of the three MVP teams. A championship series featuring a genuine outsider would send a welcome message that the door remains open to other franchises. That would be good for the league, its credibility and its fans.

Of course, getting there is another matter. But NLEX and Rain or Shine have already taken the first steps, taking 1-0 leads in their respective quarterfinal series.

The opposite half of the bracket is a veritable minefield, with sister teams San Miguel Beer and Barangay Ginebra clashing in one quarterfinal series and defending champion TNT Tropang 5G taking on Magnolia in the other.

Talk about a bracket of death even as TNT and Ginebra have also taken headstarts by winning Game 1 of their respective quarterfinal battles.

San Miguel Beer owns the most Governors Cup championships with five, while Ginebra and Magnolia have four apiece. All three, along with defending champion TNT, are on the same side of the bracket.

Something has to give, and some familiar title contenders will be going home earlier than they would have wanted.

That is precisely what makes this playoff picture so compelling. One side is loaded with championship pedigree; the other offers a genuine opportunity for a new name — or a long-absent one — to take center stage.

For a league celebrating its 50th season, what better storyline could there be than a Finals matchup that breaks the mold?

Indeed, what a battle it will be for what will be the 100th best-of-seven Finals in PBA history.

And what a way for the PBA’s 50th season to end.