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Ginebra favored vs finals first-timer foe

By Arman Carandang

08/06/2008

When Barangay Ginebra and Air21 clash in the best-of-seven series for the Smart-PBA Fiesta Conference starting today, it will be a battle between teams with different motivations.

The Gin Kings seek to preserve a tradition of sort as they meet the Express team that’s in the finals for the first time since joining the league in 2002 in a game blasting off the PBA’s 58th finals showdown using best-of-seven format.

Everything seems to be going on the side of the Kings, who will enter the 7:20 p.m. game at the Araneta Coliseum carrying the momentum of their 12-game winning streak which dates back late in the eliminations and capped by their 4-0 sweep of Red Bull in the semifinals.

Magnolia and Red Bull — losers in the semifinals — collide in the first game at 4:50 p.m. in a battle for third place.

Barangay Ginebra, which has won seven titles already including four under coach Sonny Jaworski, also posseses one of the most explosive back court combinations in the trio of Mark Caguioa, Jayjay Helterbrand and Junthy Valenzuela, and a reinforcement in Chris Alexander who could easily make an opponent bleed for rebound when he is around.

Air21 coach Bo Perasol and his Express certainly face tall order in the series, which many believe will go to the team that plays good defense, since both teams are offense oriented.

Perasol will be banking on an equally-dependable combination of Gary David, Arwind Santos, Wynne Arbleda and Ranidel de Ocampo and import Steve Thomas as they try their luck in the league against the league’s most popular ballclub.

Given all that a team may need to win any battle, Perasol’s greatest concern in their first final appearance would be facing a well-loved team which he said really gives the Kings a big lift.

“That’s really one of the factors that could spell the difference. Marami sila (Kings) kakampi na fans, and that’s something else. Malaki ang tulong niyan sa team,” Perasol said.

Air21 is the only team that has never tasted any championship in its six seasons or 15 conferences in the league, the other one being Welcoat. The Express finished with many “firsts” this conference aside from the fact that this is their first finals stint. It marked the first time for the team to finish the top team in the eliminations, first outright semis, most number of wins (12) and first time to win best-of-seven series (against Magnolia in the semis).