GAME TODAY
(Smart Araneta Coliseum)
7:30 p.m. – TNT vs. SMB
LOTS of prayers will be offered today.
Foremost among them is for the monsoon rains to halt so the match will push through as scheduled.
For Grand Slam-seeking TNT, its mission is nothing short of pulling off a miracle—its back against the wall opposite a powerhouse foe that has foiled it three straight in the Big Dance.
San Miguel Beer’s plea is plain and simple—the fifth clash takes place, and it gets the job done to avoid complications.
Weather permitting, the Beermen seek to return to all-Filipino glory and put a sad ending to the Tropang 5G’s otherwise glamorous season when they square off today in Game 5 of their best-of-7 finals duel for the PBA Philippine Cup crown at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Game time is set at 7:30 p.m., with pro league Commissioner Willie Marcial making a decision at noon today whether to greenlight Game 5 despite the flooding caused by the downpour since last week in Metro Manila and nearby provinces or move the tiff.
Opting to reschedule the fifth clash should come with plenty of factors—logistical, finding a new venue if and when the Big Dance goes to a Game 7, national team concerns, and the players, teams, and fans’ safety.
Gilas Pilipinas’ preparations for the FIBA Asia Cup slated for Aug. 5 to 17 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, will also take a toll since National coach Tim Cone’s charges will see action against the Macau Black Bears in a send-off battle on July 28 and will leave for the Saudi Arabian port city on July 30.
That means Gilas mainstays June Mar Fajardo and CJ Perez of SMB and TNT’s Calvin Oftana could end up missing the trip.
Like most Filipinos and the hardworking Marcial keenly monitoring the weather, Beermen coach Leo Austria is not one to get lulled into the traps of complacency despite his crew holding a commanding 3-1 lead in the race-to-4 series.
“We don’t have to be complacent with a 3-1 lead because it is not safe, it happens (complacency) a lot of times,” Austria said.
“This is the championship round. You will never know what will happen. May injury sila (Tropang 5G) o wala, they keep on fighting hard. Nakita naman natin,” he added.
Austria’s troops echoed his sentiments.
“Alam naman natin kung gaano kagaling (ang) TNT, magba-bounce back yun, try nila ipanalo iyong game. Pero kami, try namin i-close out,” Fajardo said.
Ross added: “The closeout game’s the hardest but we got a lot of veterans in that locker room. Boss Al (San Miguel Corporation sports director Alfrancis Chua) told us to stay grounded, keep your feet on the floor.
“So, we know that the job’s not finished and we’re going to go into Game 5 like we need to win this game.”
Fajardo, Perez, Ross, Don Trollano, Jericho Cruz, Mo Tautuaa, Marcio Lassiter, and Rodney Brondial are tipped to banner SMB’s drive to reach the Promised Land for the first time since last season’s Commissioner’s Cup.
Thwarted via a 91-105 loss the last time out, TNT will pin its hopes on Oftana, Roger Pogoy, Jordan Heading, Kelly Williams, and Glenn Khobuntin to force another tussle.
Three scenarios loom—a championship celebration, extension, or suspension.
