Old pals Dozier, Henderson-Niles face off in PBA Finals

Rob Dozier and Pierre Henderson-Niles. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

Teammates during their college days in Memphis, little did Rob Dozier and Pierre Henderson-Niles imagine they will cross paths one day with a championship on the line.

Dozier’s Alaska and Henderson-Niles’ Rain or Shine juke for the 2016 PBA Commissioner’s Cup title with both of their teams hoping to end their heartbreaks in the finals.

The Aces import, who is already on his third tour of duty, has already won a title and a Best Import award before. Though he admits extending a helping hand to Henderson-Niles when he first got here, he did not imagine the two facing off for the ultimate prize.

“When he got here, we had a conversation. Now, we’re here and I wish him the best but I hope that we win,” said Dozier.

Henderson-Niles, meanwhile, said that he and Dozier broached the subject when possibility of them facing in the finals slowly became possible in the playoffs.

“We talked about it last week, that we’re hope to see each other in the Finals,” he said.

But the old pals are setting aside their friendship as they hope to bring their respective teams to the promise land.

“We’re going to win,” said Henderson-Niles. “We have defense. I don’t know about his team.”

The ex-Tigers alumni agree that it will definitely be a bruising duel between the two gritty teams.

“It’s going to be an aggressive matchup. We lost the National Championship to Kansas. We both want this bad,” said the burly Rain or Shine import, remembering that painful 2008 NCAA championship game where Memphis lost in overtime. “I think it’s gonna be aggressive game on both parts and on both ends.”

“It’s going to be a battle, a fight. That’s about it,” Dozier also said.