DESTINY vs DYNASTY. Gary David's Powerade go against powerhouse Talk N' Text. Photo by Nuki Sabio
DIGOS, Davao del Sur—Powerade and Talk ‘N Text, survivors of miraculous runs in the semifinals of the PBA Philippine Cup, begin to slug it out for the season-opening crown starting Friday at the Sports, Tourism and Business Center of Davao del Sur here.
Game time is 6:45 p.m. with both teams hoping to take the momentum of contrasting Game 7 semifinal victories over separate foes in the kickoff encounter of the best-of-seven championship series which is part of the PBA-Phoenix On Tour.
Powerade, after a 107-98 decision of Rain or Shine on Wednesday, is the lowest-seeded team to ever clinch a title series appearance, and the Tigers hope to continue defying the odds and go all the way.
Talk ‘N Text, on the other hand, became just the third team in league history to overturn a 1-3 deficit in a best-of-seven series to win, and, in the process, earned a shot at becoming the first squad since 1985 to repeat as all-Filipino champion.
The Tropang Texters have the edge in manpower going into this race-to-four affair.
But coach Chot Reyes has learned a very important thing in the last two series that his foe, the Tigers, were in during the last two weeks.
“We all saw what happened to B-Meg. We all saw what happened to Rain or Shine,” Reyes said Wednesday night after a high-wire one-point victory over the Petron Blaze Boosters in their own rubber match two nights ago.
Against the top-seeded Llamados, the Tigers gutted out two straight victories in their quarterfinal series to advance against the Elasto Painters, who managed to stay alive in six games before they were beaten in Game 7.
“And we all know now that you cannot take that team for granted,” Reyes, who admitted that Powerade, formerly Coca-Cola, has a special place in his heart.
Reyes was the last coach before Bo Perasol to take the Tigers to the Finals before Bo Perasol took over. He was also the last to win a championship for the team when it was still owned by the San Miguel group of companies.
Sold to a group of multinationals in 2004, the franchise struggled and even flirted with disbandment two years ago. Then the indefatigable Gary David and rookies JV Casio and Marcio Lassiter came along and changed the fortunes of the squad.
Whatever happens, this batch of Tigers will continue to be the story of the tournament.
“If it’s written in stone, we have a big chance,” Perasol said on Wednesday. “We’re going to enjoy the few moments that we have. Continue to write our story and be an inspiration to those who are not well-touted.”
With Powerade in the championship series, David has emerged as a serious pick to nail down the Best Player of the Conference award with Arwind Santos practically eliminated from the race after Petron bowed out.