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GAME FRIDAY (Araneta Coliseum)
7 p.m.—San Miguel vs Barangay Ginebra
MANILA, Philippines - Riding the momentum of a big start, defending champion Barangay Ginebra shoots for a 2-0 lead over San Miguel in their best-of-seven championship series for the Motolite PBA Fiesta Cup at the Araneta Coliseum.
While dismissing as “just one game” the Gin Kings’ 102-96 win Wednesday night, Ginebra coach Jong Uichico is looking forward to a repeat victory in the 7 p.m. encounter.
But the Gin Kings can expect a tough stand from the Beermen, who remain the prohibitive favorites after topping the eliminations with a deep, talent-filled lineup many feel could be split into two powerful squads.
And San Miguel, which has not lost two games in a row in the tournament, will be oozing with fight this time after playing with its mind elsewhere in Game 1.
“We just didn’t come mentally prepared,” coach Siot Tanquingcen told sportswriters after Wednesday’s loss.
The young mentor refused to agree that a Ginebra speed unit did his hulking frontline in, though he admitted that the Beermen didn’t play up to expectations.
“Defense does not stop with them (Gin Kings) missing their shots, said Tanquingcen, whose last taste of a championship came while he was Uichico’s assistant at Ginebra in 2006. “They missed shots all right, but they were able to get it back.”
Proof of San Miguel’s lack of focus was the 20 offensive rebounds its beefy and hefty frontline gave up. The Beermen also allowed the Gin Kings to shoot a 40 percent clip from beyond three-point range.
Ginebra’s hot start was fueled by three Paul Artadi triples in the first six minutes of the first quarter, which Jayjay Helterbrand sustained by hitting 14 of his 21 points in the second, when the Kings led by as many as 17.
Incidentally, Helterbrand is favored to win the Best Player of the Conference award and become the first to repeat since Danny Ildefonso early in the decade.
