GIANTS VS. BARAKOS ON FINALS
RED BULL, PUREFOODS RETURN TO THE BIG SHOW
PBA’s newest rivalry rages on
Monday, 03 July 2006
The Finals fever is on with the Red Bull-Purefoods Finale Part II getting underway Wednesday, marking what could be an interesting chapter in the fast-developing great rivalry between the two teams.They’ve proven to be the best teams of the 2005-06 PBA season byreaching the title playoffs in each of the two tourneys. But both want something more.They’re aching to win the coveted All-Filipino crown and earn a special place in league history.Thus, the drama unfolds with Game One of the Gran Matador Brandy PBA Philippine Cup best-of-seven Finals Wednesday at the Araneta Coliseum.The Barakos are determined to be the first team to complete a mini-grand slam under the league’s reformatted season calendar while the Giants want to share a league record with San Miguel as the winningest among all active ballclubs in All-Filipino tourneys."We are greatly motivated because of the fact that we’ve yet win an All-Filipino tourney. Here’s a chance that also offers us to complete a modern-day grand slam," said Red Bull coach Yeng Guiao.Repeat or revenge for Purefoods? Nope.Purefoods coach Ryan Gregorio said they’re not treating this championship series that way.
"We’re not thinking about the past. We’ll be out there to build character and just win. Eh, paano kung wala nang revenge factor? Baka hindi na uli kami mag trabaho," said Gregorio.The veteran Red Bull mentor is the one salivating the most for an All-Filipino crown that he said he may contemplate on retiring should they win this one."I’ve been in the league so long that I’ve seen the best and the worst of the PBA. Baby Dalupan, Robert Jaworski, Ed Ocampo were still there when I joined the league. I saw Tony Harris make 105 points in one game and I saw Eugene Tejada take that fall. I’ve seen it all except an All-Filipino championship," said Guiao.Four-time MVP winner Alvin Patrimonio, meanwhile, is just so happy to be back in the All-Filipino finals though he’s now confined on the bench as Purefoods team manager.Patrimonio led Purefoods to three All-Filipino title conquests in his heyday, the last time in 1997 under coach Eric Altamirano. The Giants are raring to end the nine-year dry spell to tie the Beermen’s record with four crowns.Only the defunct Crispa ball club had won more All-Filipino championships at five."We’ve gone through tough adversities. And one thing we can promise. We’ll show nothing less than what we had put up in beating Ginebra in a deciding Game Five in the quarterfinals and San Miguel in a deciding Game Seven in the semis," said Guiao."We’ve also gone through difficult situations. In fact, we had to survive three knockout games against Alaska (in the semis). We’re happy but we’re not satisfied. We’ll not celebrate until, God willing, we get all the way to the top," said Purefoods coach Ryan Gregorio.Guiao, Gregorio and some of the Red Bull and Purefoods key players spoke about their thoughts in the coming Gran Matador Brandy PBA Philippine Cup Finals in a pre-final press conference at Emerald restaurant on Roxas Blvd. Monday.Both Guiao and Gregorio believe their teams are equipped and determined enough to have a good shot at winning the championship.Guiao said he has a deep bench with their 11th and 12th players capable of playing 20 solid minutes.Gregorio, on the other hand, believes he’s armed with great shooters that can break down the Red Bull defense."Our No. 1 strength is that for such a young team, my players have shown extraordinary mental toughness. Sabi nila physical ang Red Bull. Pero hindi yon ang totoong nagpapalakas sa amin. We just do what it takes to win," said Guiao."We have physical toughness that comes with mental toughness. Lordy Tugade will shoot the ball whatever happens, Enrico Villanueva will pound the boards and Topex Robinson will hound you from baseline to baseline. Ganyan kami," Guiao added."Red Bull is really hard to stop. For one, you can’t anticipate because of coach Yeng Guiao’s varying combinations. My countermove is to make my team better," said Gregorio."They also have great quickness. They can rebound, finish fastbreaks and press on defense. But we had that training against Alaska. I don’t know what would be their counter against our perimeter shooting," Gregorio added. (NC)
PBA’s newest rivalry rages on
Monday, 03 July 2006
The Finals fever is on with the Red Bull-Purefoods Finale Part II getting underway Wednesday, marking what could be an interesting chapter in the fast-developing great rivalry between the two teams.They’ve proven to be the best teams of the 2005-06 PBA season byreaching the title playoffs in each of the two tourneys. But both want something more.They’re aching to win the coveted All-Filipino crown and earn a special place in league history.Thus, the drama unfolds with Game One of the Gran Matador Brandy PBA Philippine Cup best-of-seven Finals Wednesday at the Araneta Coliseum.The Barakos are determined to be the first team to complete a mini-grand slam under the league’s reformatted season calendar while the Giants want to share a league record with San Miguel as the winningest among all active ballclubs in All-Filipino tourneys."We are greatly motivated because of the fact that we’ve yet win an All-Filipino tourney. Here’s a chance that also offers us to complete a modern-day grand slam," said Red Bull coach Yeng Guiao.Repeat or revenge for Purefoods? Nope.Purefoods coach Ryan Gregorio said they’re not treating this championship series that way.
"We’re not thinking about the past. We’ll be out there to build character and just win. Eh, paano kung wala nang revenge factor? Baka hindi na uli kami mag trabaho," said Gregorio.The veteran Red Bull mentor is the one salivating the most for an All-Filipino crown that he said he may contemplate on retiring should they win this one."I’ve been in the league so long that I’ve seen the best and the worst of the PBA. Baby Dalupan, Robert Jaworski, Ed Ocampo were still there when I joined the league. I saw Tony Harris make 105 points in one game and I saw Eugene Tejada take that fall. I’ve seen it all except an All-Filipino championship," said Guiao.Four-time MVP winner Alvin Patrimonio, meanwhile, is just so happy to be back in the All-Filipino finals though he’s now confined on the bench as Purefoods team manager.Patrimonio led Purefoods to three All-Filipino title conquests in his heyday, the last time in 1997 under coach Eric Altamirano. The Giants are raring to end the nine-year dry spell to tie the Beermen’s record with four crowns.Only the defunct Crispa ball club had won more All-Filipino championships at five."We’ve gone through tough adversities. And one thing we can promise. We’ll show nothing less than what we had put up in beating Ginebra in a deciding Game Five in the quarterfinals and San Miguel in a deciding Game Seven in the semis," said Guiao."We’ve also gone through difficult situations. In fact, we had to survive three knockout games against Alaska (in the semis). We’re happy but we’re not satisfied. We’ll not celebrate until, God willing, we get all the way to the top," said Purefoods coach Ryan Gregorio.Guiao, Gregorio and some of the Red Bull and Purefoods key players spoke about their thoughts in the coming Gran Matador Brandy PBA Philippine Cup Finals in a pre-final press conference at Emerald restaurant on Roxas Blvd. Monday.Both Guiao and Gregorio believe their teams are equipped and determined enough to have a good shot at winning the championship.Guiao said he has a deep bench with their 11th and 12th players capable of playing 20 solid minutes.Gregorio, on the other hand, believes he’s armed with great shooters that can break down the Red Bull defense."Our No. 1 strength is that for such a young team, my players have shown extraordinary mental toughness. Sabi nila physical ang Red Bull. Pero hindi yon ang totoong nagpapalakas sa amin. We just do what it takes to win," said Guiao."We have physical toughness that comes with mental toughness. Lordy Tugade will shoot the ball whatever happens, Enrico Villanueva will pound the boards and Topex Robinson will hound you from baseline to baseline. Ganyan kami," Guiao added."Red Bull is really hard to stop. For one, you can’t anticipate because of coach Yeng Guiao’s varying combinations. My countermove is to make my team better," said Gregorio."They also have great quickness. They can rebound, finish fastbreaks and press on defense. But we had that training against Alaska. I don’t know what would be their counter against our perimeter shooting," Gregorio added. (NC)
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