The Road To The Finals Starts Today

Four years without a title. That's always the argument haters use against our beloved Ginebra. That's also the reason why die-hard Ginebra fans remain loyal and supportive of the team. Many of us are waiting and anticipating the end of BGSM's championship drought.

Finally, that championship stint is just five games away. But the road is going to be tough as it would have to be against the mighty Talk n Text. With their championship experience, the Texters are clearly the favorites in this series. But never underestimate the heart of the barangay. BGSM's win against Rain or Shine was a living proof of the team's fighting heart. With a twice-to-beat disadvantage, the Kings dug deep and mustered all their strength to pull off what many consider as "insurmountable odds." The truth is with Ginebra nothing is "insurmountable."

Once again, Ginebra needs to overcome the odds in order to give their fans every reason to be even more supportive of them. The road to the Finals starts in Game 1. Yes, it may be long and arduous but knowing their "never say die" attitude, the Kings will find a way to emerge on top.

David vs. Goliath

 
Talk n Text and Barangay Ginebra begins their semifinal duel tomorrow April 26. Slated to be a best-of-five, this series can be likened to a David and Goliath kind of an encounter. The Texters is handled by grand slam coach Norman Black while Ginebra's Alfrancis Chua is looking for his first title as a coach in the PBA. Aside from that, Talk n Text has been a permanent fixture in the semifinals of every conference. This is their ninth straight appearance in the semifinals.

The two teams have split their two meetings this conference. Ginebra won their first encounter 107-100. that time, they still had Mark Caguioa who scattered 28 points and Talk n Text still had Donnell Harvey. In their second meeting, the Texters handily won 100-86. This time around there was no Caguioa and Harvey.

This is the first time since 2011 that the two teams are meeting in a series. With Nate Brumfield as Ginebra's reinforcement and Paul Harris as the import of Talk n Text, the latter won their Finals series 4-2. Since then the Kings have failed to move past the semifinals.

The Texters are heavily favored in this series. Their lineup is deep from top to bottom. They are loaded with shooters and have been together for several years already. Thus, their chemistry as a unit can no longer be questioned. On the other hand, Ginebra have been involved in several trades the last one involving Josh Urbiztondo for rookie Keith Jensen and a second round pick. Being in the Finals for several conferences already, championship experience is in the favor of Talk n Text.

Ginebra's last title was in 2008 and hence they would look for a way to solve any advantage that the Texters may have on them. With their "never-say-die" spirit in tow, I am sure that the Kings would not go down easily and make things hard for Talk n Text.

Chasing Destiny

 
Once again, Barangay Ginebra San Miguel is etching its name in the PBA history books becoming the ninth team to overcome a twice-to-beat disadvantage to advance to the semifinals. Of the nine teams that did it, Ginebra has the most number of comebacks with three. They did the trick in 1999 behind Bal David's last second shot against the top seeded Mobiline. They repeated the feat in 2001 against Purefoods thanks to Ronald Magtulis' offensive rebound. And against Rain or Shine last night, they erased that twice-to-beat disadvantage.

Coming into that do-or-die game, Ginebra lost main man Mark Caguioa due to an MCL injury. Aside from that, they ended their elimination round campaign with back-to-back losses against Alaska and Talk n Text. To boost their chances, they secured Josh Urbiztondo from Barako Bull in exchange for Keith Jensen and a second round pick.

Come game time, the Kings had a miserable first half and even went down by 15 points in the third quarter. But Jayjay Helterbrand turned back time and brought Ginebra back into the game. With Kerby Raymundo assisting him, the 2009 MVP scored all of his 13 points in the 4th quarter and went 3-of-3 from beyond the arc. Before Rain or Shine could recover, the Kings were already ahead and heading to victory.

In the second match, Vernon Macklin showed nerves of steel in hitting two crucial free throws which proved to be the winning margin for the Kings. He then came back on the other end to block the lay-up of Jeff Chan. Defense then did it for Ginebra in the final 6 seconds to seal the win and a place in the Final Four.

Now Ginebra looks to overcome another obstacle in the person of Talk n Text. With nine straight semifinals appearances, the Texters swept the Petron Blaze Boosters in their best-of-three quarterfinal series.The two teams split their matches this conference. Playing against Talk n Text is always tough. With a 7 foot import in Jerome Jordan, it will definitely be a long and ardous climb for the Kings if they want to move to their first Finals since 2008, the last time they became champions.

Coach Alfrancis Chua is looking to chase another Ginebra milestone. He is seeking to become the third Ginebra coach to win a championship in their first season after Siot Tanquincen and Jong Uichico. It will also be his first championship as a coach.

Is destiny calling Ginebra? It's been a long time since the Kings have won a title. With V-Mack in tow, is it finally time for the Kings to win another championship?

Is History Repeating Itself?

It was just a few weeks ago when Barangay Ginebra San Miguel was struggling to win. They started with a 0-4 record with Herbert Hill in tow. Would you believe it the most popular team is now red hot with a six game winning streak. With only two games left, they can go 8-0. Their six game run is the longest streak this conference.

Ginebra's current run and its 2008 championship has several similarities. Its current import Vernon Macklin came in as a replacement for the original. The last time Ginebra won a championship, they went 13-0. Now, they are 6-0 since V-Mack came in. His entry may have energized not only LA Tenorio's game but also everyone on the roster.

In the middle of their losing slump, MC47 said in an interview that there was nowhere to go but up. With all their struggles in the early part of the conference, who would have thought that Ginebra has now rebounded from being in the cellar to becoming the hottest team in the league right now.

Barangay Ginebra has found a way to win without its main man. They did it with ball movement, teamwork, and the help of a one gem of an import named Vernon Macklin. The Kings have a four year title drought. With V-Mack in tow, Ginebra fans are hoping that the Kings will finally nail their ninth title. We are all hoping for a repeat of 2008.