LA Salle guns for a second straight title, while University of the Philippines seeks to flip the script to reclaim the throne in Game 3 of the UAAP Season 87 Men’s Basketball Finals before an expected jampacked crowd today at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Green Archers-Fighting Maroons championship goes for a decider for a second year in a row, as both teams will leave everything on the floor in the 5:30 p.m. contest to close out the year on a high.
Last year, the rubber match drew 25,192 fans — a Big Dome record for basketball.
After dropping a 65-73 decision in the series opener, De La Salle’s title-retention bid barely got a lifeline following a 76-75 Game 2 victory last Saturday.
Making its fourth consecutive Game 3 appearance, UP hopes to redeem itself from its two Finals defeats and secure the crown it last won in Season 84 (May 2022) ending a 36-year championship appearance.
The Green Archers, the fifth most successful team in the league, are eyeing their 11th title overall and the first back-to-back title run since completing a four-peat from Seasons 61 to 64 (1998 to 2001).
A title contender since Season 81 (2018) after decades of being perennial also-rans, the Fighting Maroons will shoot for a fourth championship.
For coach Topex Robinson, it’s all about relishing the moment and not about thinking about La Salle’s future after the finals.
“You know, we’re just going to enjoy it. The crowd will be crazy, but that’s what we’re here for. You know, the reason why you play the Finals is for this kind of moment. You know, you prepare for those moments and nobody could take that away from you. So we just keep on enjoying it. We’re just going to be approaching it the way we used to approach it,” said Robinson.
“You know, this is the second time we’re going to play in a Game 3 Finals, and at this point, we don’t have to worry about it yet, but it’s going to be an exciting ballgame. You know, whatever the result, it’s, you know, it’s all about the UAAP, how the branding was, you know, that’s going to be good for, I guess, college basketball and Philippine basketball as well. So it’s just going to be an exciting Sunday for everybody,” he added.
The Green Archers will play Game 3 for a record 10th time. De La Salle is 5-4 all-time in winner-take-all games.
As UP stares in another do-or-die situation, coach Goldwin Monteverde simply wanted his troops to just focus and value every possession to get back on top.
“I guess, yung reality: Life goes on. Ganoonnamantalagaangbuhay kung minsan it will go your way, it would not. Angimportantekunnganoangginawamo to achieve ang gusto monggawin. But then if you fall short siyempre… I think yung basketball is the perfect anonaman for them to be stronger, for them to learn. And definitely with this loss matututokaminglahat,” said Monteverde said.
“We’ll come back stronger Sunday. Basketball is basketball, di ba? Minsan mananalo. Minsan matatalo. Ang importante yung bangon. Alam namin na hindi pa naman tapos ang series. Alam namin na you know, we just have to keep our heads up,” he added.
