No safe lead in PBA s’final duels

A team can build as big a lead as it can but as long as there’s ample game time left, there’s always that chance a huge advantage can just dissolve and disappear.

Teams in the ongoing PBA Governors’ Cup semifinals are coming to terms with this. Long gone are the days when basketball teams could build 20-point plus leads all the way to the second half and coast and even “freeze the ball” (an old hoop term before the age of shot clocks).

The three-point shot is the obvious game changer. As long as you have marksmen who can nail the rainbow shot, you still have a chance to roar back. A 20-point deficit at halftime can be trimmed down to a single digit by the end of the third quarter, making the game more competitive in the payoff period.

But quite often it’s sheer will that enables teams to stage comebacks.

Coach Yeng Guiao attributed Rain or Shine’s miraculous come-from-behind triumph last Saturday to a “script from God.”  But there’s no question that it was also the team’s collective desire to not fall into an 0-2 abyss against formidable San Miguel that also engineered the comeback.

The Beermen were shooting the Smart Araneta lights out, anchored on Marcio Lassiter’s 10 triples. But it just happens sometimes: Teams get tired, fall into desperation plays and the other team simply catches fire.

In the case of Rain or Shine, they hit the big baskets in the stretch with Gabe Norwood’s equalizer and Jeff Chan’s winning trey.

Add to this the 53 points of import Wendell McKines. He did what imports are expected to do in the PBA: Carry the team scoring and inspire teammates along the way with plays that matter. McKines works hard on both ends of the floor that jives with the toughness that Guiao wants for his teams.

San Miguel is not the only victim of sudden game surges. Rain or Shine lost a 24-point lead in Game 1 and the game as well and Alaska clawed back to win against the Star Hotshots in the first encounter.

How then do you survive a rally?

Some coaches use all their timeouts to keep a fire from burning. Many others try not to consume all their huddles to save a few for the end game. In the same vein, some mentors want their players to play through the storm, to learn to come together to survive a crisis.

It’s natural that the defense of the resurgent team will be more aggressive, sticky and outright physical. It’s essential to stay calm under fire while maintaining aggressiveness.

It’s also important to continue defending and not get burdened with matching the scoring of the rallying team. Many teams tumble and fall when they can’t forget the big lead they erected and try to rebuild it quickly.

In crucial games like the playoffs, the key plays are the defensive ones. Chan’s winning triple was first set up by McKines’ defensive deflection. Jireh Ibañez picked up the loose leather, headed for his frontcourt and then found the open Chan.

Being besieged by searing rallies is like being in the middle of bad traffic or an unforgiving storm. Staying calm, practical and alert are simply the best tools for survival.

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