2016 San Miguel Beermen Force Game 7

There is something special about the 2016 San Miguel Beermen roster. They are on the brink of making world basketball history - if they win the Finals series - after being down 0 - 3 and being able to force a Game 7 in the All-Filipino Cup Finals against the Alaska Aces.

According to Wikipedia, only three basketball teams were able to force a Game 7 after being down 0 - 3. These are the following:

The New York Knicks vs. the Rochester Royals in the 1951 NBA Finals

The Denver Nuggets vs. the Utah Jazz in the 1994 NBA Western Conference Semifinals

The Portland Trail Blazers vs. the Dallas Mavericks in the 2003 NBA Western Conference First Round

I am not aware of any team in the Philippine Basketball Association who was able to accomplish such a feat.

San Miguel wouldn't have been in this position if not for the injury of Jun Mar Fajardo during their semi-finals match with Rain or Shine. With a healthy Fajardo in the line-up, the Beermen would have probably gained the upper hand early in this Finals match. And this is probably what is eating up the Aces. Deep down, they know that the only reason they were able to win the first three games was because Fajardo could not play. And some of their wins were close ones, meaning, even without Fajardo, the Beermen could go toe-to-toe with the Aces.

There are plenty of heroes in the San Migues Beer roster. Alex Cabagnot, Gabby Espinas, Marcio Lassiter, Yancey De Ocampo, and of course Arwind Santos have kept the hope of the Beermen fans alive, even through the first initial losses, because they always fought back, even when the odds were against them. There was even an instance in Game 6 where Alaska was making a rally and the series looked like it was finally going to be won by the Aces, but the Beermen made some offensive and defensive adjustments to get the score back to a winnable gap. And when the fourth quarter came, the Beermen unleashed their three point shots to build an insurmountable lead.

Statistics may be in the favor of Alaska, but I would like to think that this San Miguel comeback deserves a fairy-tale ending. It encourages those who are down in the dumps and whose spirits have been broken to hope and to keep on trying, and to keep on believing that some things are possible when people work together, believe in each other, and have faith in the Almighty. I always appreciate it when I see Cabagnot praying and pointing upward - giving glory to God for every win they have won in the Finals.

Game 7 is on Wednesday - and you probably can infer who I'll be rooting for. May the best team win.