There will no longer be any matches this year between San Miguel and Ginebra. Tonight, one team will go home and enjoy resting until the next season, while the other looks forward to a match against the Meralco Bolts.
And let me just voice out my disgust at the way the officials handled that foul against Jason Castro in the fourth quarter. It was like throwing out Michael Jordan at a critical point in a match and handing the opposing team the victory. Credit Newsome for selling. But instead of treating it as an offensive foul, the referees slap Castro with a second flagrant for the game resulting in his ejection. I hope the referees call tonight's game in a fair manner.
So Meralco waits for tonight's winner.
This San Miguel team has already done what can be considered as the greatest comeback of any basketball team in all-time since no other team in history has achieved it. They have come back from a 0-3 deficit against Alaska this year in the Philippine Cup. And as a team, you can use that as a reminder of what your team is capable of. Amidst the body aches and pains, bruises and fatigue, you dig deep, and use that as motivation to claw your way to another championship.
I don't know if such an achievement reduces the hunger factor. But I know that teams only have a short time in the league to build a legacy and to chase championships. You will not always be a dominating center, or a sharp-shooter, or a fast sprinter. At some point, old age and injuries catch up with every great player. So play while you can, play every game as though it were your last. Give it your all because tomorrow, you might never play again.
Forget about the lost opportunity for a Grand Slam. Win because your fans are supporting you and sticking it out with you despite a Ginebra team supported by the masses. I've admired the way Coach Tim Cone and Alaska handled the pressure in the 90's whenever they heard the crowds chant "Ginebra!" I'd imagine it must be strange for him to be on the opposite side of the fence, being the crowd favorite this time. And as San Miguel, when you have the crowd against you, wanting you to lose, you have to strive harder and find a way to draw strength elsewhere. Some players may draw that strength from their love for their families. Some may draw it from the trust they have developed with their teammates. And some draw strength from their faith in God.
San Miguel did a tremendous job in Game 4 of this semi-finals series. I don't know if they can win with another blowout since Coach Tim Cone will surely try to make adjustments. But it doesn't matter if you win with thirty points or with just one point. A win is a win.
I don't know how tonight's game will end. But this semi-finals series has been an exciting one for me, and whoever wins tonight's game might just end up as the 2016 PBA Governor's Cup Champions.
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