By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.

I’M making this piece prematurely, April 4, because of the seven-day (April 2-9) Lenten season break. So, I believe that you, my co-basketball aficionados had already watched on TV the April 9 (Easter Sunday) first game of the best-of-seven series of this year PBA’s Governors’ Cup championship match at Araneta Coliseum. It’s a toss-up between arch rivals the reigning titlists Ginebra Gin Kings against title contender Talk N’ Text Tropang Giga. Many say that despite the victory of TNT over Ginebra during the elimination round to bag the pennant with Ginebra, just landing third overall after San Miguel Beer (SMB), basketball connoisseurs say the crowd drawer Ginebra Five is the slight favorite to win the series. Some even predict that it could end in a rubber match (seventh game). And if that happens, game will be played on April 23. And, if Ginebra wins, it will be its third consecutive championship victory, a record in PBA’s Governors Cup tourney.

The TNT boys of interim head coach Jojo Lastimosa (temporarily replacing head coach Chot Reyes who was picked to steer our national five called “Gilas” in the coming Southeast Asia (SEA) Games next month in Cambodia), entered the Finals by overpowering the Meralco Bolts, 110-80, to win the first game of the best-of-five series semis with their import, the former NBA player Rondae Hollis-Jefferson who executed his all-around exploits.

But the Meralco boys of head coach Norman Black bounced back in their second encounter eventually winning the match, 124-117, after a 112-112 deadlock in the regulation time due to a buzzer-beating successful shot of Aaron Black, son of mentor Black, to tie the series 1-1. Learning a big lesson following their defeat, the third and fourth hostilities were all for TNT, 99-80 and 107-92, respectively, primarily due to the sterling efforts of TNT’s two imports Hollis Jefferson and Mikey Williams for 3-1 win-loss score.

On the other side, the darling of the crowd, Ginebra delivered a sweeping blow, 3-0, against its sister company, the multi-titled San Miguel Beer in the best-of-five-series. The first two matches were convincing victories by the defending champion Ginebra quintet, 121-112, 121-103, respectively. Yes, unlike the first game, we saw how the third skirmish turned to be very different with Filipino naturalized Justin Brownlee and Fil-German Christian Standhardinger who played with tantalizing skills together in the fourth and final quarters and chiefly in the dying seconds of the clash.

With the Gin Kings trailing by as many as 18 points in the third period, the never-say-die stance of Tim Cone’s boys moved slowly but surely to effectively even the score at 85-85 majority of which were via three-point and perimeter shots. When Cone called a timeout to set up a play, they won the series, 87-85, after forward-center Standhardinger received a nifty pass under the basket from Brownlee and hit the winning two points to the deafening yell of the boisterous pro Ginebra throng. It was the first sweep loss of SMB in any semis tilt.

TNT and Ginebra start to face each other this coming Easter Sunday at Araneta Coliseum. Who will I pick to win? It’s the title hungry TNT. But in case the series reaches seventh game, I believe Ginebra will win again. Cone’s strategies work magnificently every time the game is too close to comfort. I’m expecting a dogfight.

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasures, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. COLOSSIANS 3: 20-22.

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