COMBATANTS OPEN HOSTILITIES
Game today (MOA Arena) 7:30 p.m. – San Miguel Beer vs Magnolia San Miguel Beer’s “Death 15” against Magnolia’s hungry bunch.
There’s no other pairing more fitting for the final dispute for the vacant crown than the very titans of the Season 48 PBA Commissioner’s Cup themselves.
The Beermen go into the best-ofseven title showdown as a red-hot team with a running nine-game win streak, boasting a powerhouse roster that runs up to the last man, thus the moniker SMB coach Jorge Gallent coined.
The Hotshots bring to the battlefront a stacked and fiery crew that’s taken the mantle as the league leaders since Day 1, coupled by a great resolve to end a championship drought spanning nine conferences.
So expect high-powered shots to be fired when the protagonists – sister teams from the San Miguel Corp. stable but combative rivals – open hostilities and race for the 1-0 head start tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the MOA Arena.
Neither top seed Magnolia, a defensive specialist, nor No.2 SMB, an offensive juggernaut, wants the “favorite” tag in this series – a delayed return engagement from their seven-game back-and-forth in the 2019 Philippine Cup.
“San Miguel is an All-Star team. Tama si coach Jorge, hindi na sila ‘Death 5’ kundi ‘Death 15’ na sila. Kahit sino bunutin mo, magko-contribute,” said Magnolia gunner Paul Lee during yesterday’s pre-finals press conference.
“Kung iyung ‘Death 5’ nga nahirapan kami, sa ‘Death 15’ pa?” added coach Chito Victolero. “But then again, there must be a solution. Hopefully, tumama ang gusto naming gawin (game plan against SMB).”
Only June Mar Fajardo, Chris Ross and Marcio Lassiter are still around from the old SMB killer five but now they’re surrounded with insanely talented teammates like import Bennie Boatwright, CJ Perez, Jericho Cruz and Don Trollano who are just as lethal.
Magnolia’s personnel, with reinforcement Tyler Bey, Paul Lee, Mark Barroca, Ian Sangalang, Calvin Abueva and Jio Jalalon as anchors, is no pushover for sure.
“We know we have our hands full. Magnolia has been the best team in the (preseason) PBA On Tour, they were 11-0, and this conference, they’re No.1 the whole conference,” said Ross, SMB’s playing assistant.
“And they’re hungry. We can see that. We practice next door and even in the morning we hear them screaming and yelling. So we know they’re hungry and they want to win the championship.”
Ross went to the extent of saying Magnolia has the edge.
“I feel like we’re kind of the underdog. We’ll try our hardest and hopefully we come out victorious.”
Motivation won’t be lacking for the duelists. SMB is intent on giving Gallent a breakthrough title while Magnolia is bent on copping a first crown since the 2018 Governors’ Cup.
“Excited kami to play and win a first championship para kay coach Jorge,” said Cruz.
“It’s been a while since last nakalaro sa finals. Hopefully makuha this time,” said Lee.
The Hotshots have fallen short in their last three championship appearances, losing to TNT, 1-4, in the 2021 All-Filipino, and twice to SMB in the 2018 and 2019 editions of the centerpiece conference (1-4 and 3-4).