SALA SA INIT .. SALA SA LAMIG: Good or bust para sa Bolts ang Game 6 ngayon sa PBA Governors’ Cup
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 22 Apr 2022
Matuloy kaya na kaya ngayon ang nakatakdang selebrasyon ng Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Gin Kings na sana’y naganap noong Miyerkules sa Araneta Coliseum?
O mapalawig pa kaya ng Meralco Bolts and kanilang best-of-seven serye para sa kampeonato sa 2022 PBA Governor’s Cup.
Umasa ang Gin Kings ni coach Tim Cone na matatapos na ang serye nong Miyerkules sa Game 6 ng serye at mai-uwi ang ginintuang tropeo.
Ipinagpaliban ng pamunuan ng liga ang Game 6 dahil sa isang malaking sunog na naganap sa sa loob ng Quezon City Big Dome noong araw na iyon, dahilan para maudlot ang sana’y selebrasyon ng prangkisang ari ng San Miguel ni Ramon S. Ang (RSA) Group.
At sa halip na magdiwaqng, nasa isip ngayon ni coach Tim at ng Kings kung paano maibabalik ang kanilang momentum dala ng kanilang 3-2 panalo-talong kartada sa limang naunang paghaharap nila ng Bolts ni coach Norman Black.
"Ayaw nating ipagsapalaran ang kaligtasan ng mga fans, ng mga players at game staff,” paliwanag ni PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial sa kolumpistang ito kahapon desisyong ipagpaliban ang Game 6 na inaasahang hahakot ng sell-out crowd sa Big Dome.
At samantalang ang Kings ay nag-iisip kung paano maibabalik ang buwelong sa tingin ng marami ay nawala sa pagkakapagpaliban, si coach Norman naman at ang Bolts ay inaasahang sasamantalahin ang postponement at malipat sa kanila benepisyo ng pagkakapagpaliban.
Una, ang karagdadagang pahintay makapagbibigay sa kanila ng pagkakataong planuhin ang mga taktikang magagamit nila sa Game 6 at Game 7, kung kinakailangan.
Para magwagi at ipagpatuloy ang layong mabigyan ng kauna-unahang korona ang prangkisa mula nang mabili ng Ginebra ang prangkisang ari dati ng Sta Lucia Relty noong 2010.
At maipag-higanti ang tatlong pagkakataong natalo sila ng Kings sa kampeonato nong 2016, 2017 at 2019.
Para kay Ginebra guard Scottie Thompson, nagawaran ng larangalang bilang Best Player of the Conference, bagamat may kahirapang gampanan ang misyong darating, hanggat nandyan ang kanilang “sixth man” ay umaasa pa rin siyang hindi gaaong imposible ang magtagumpay.
"To close out a series is very tough. But we'll not look back, nor will we look forward. We'll focus on the game at hand Friday," wika ni Thompson.
Pag nandyan ang 'Sixth Man' namin (ang libo-libong crowd), kaya yan," dagdag ng bagong BPC.
"They only have three wins. (If) we win this game, we tie the series so that's what we're focused on right now," sagot naman Norman Black.
Hindi na kailangang sabihin pa na ang Kings ay gagawin ang lahat para maipanalo ang Game 6 at maiwasan ang isa pang problemang idudulot ng Game 7 at makamit ang kanilang pang-apat na titulo sa huling limang edisyon ng Governors’ Cup.
Hindi rin naman dapat isa-isantabi na ang Bolts ay kaya ring harapin ang hamong ito ng Kings at haraping amuli ng katunggali sa Game 7 na nangyarsi noong kanilang blockbuster winner-take-all rubber na lubos na ikinasiya pareho ng PBA fans at ng liga noong 2017.
Para kay sweet-shooting guard Allein Maliksi, "Our mindset is: Let's win this game then let's do it again on Friday (Game 7). More than ever, we're motivated to win the first championship for Meralco."
"We'll give it our best shot," dagdag ni Meralco Big man s Raymond Almazan.
Para kay coach Tim, ang kanyang Kings ay handa ang hamon “for a tough, tough grind, knowing it would take a lot to finish off a determined opponent. We know that trying to beat a good team like this three times in a row is nearly impossible. When I look at it, it seems close but it's really very far away."
Para kay Ginebra chief playmaker LA Tenorio, itinuturing nilang ang Game 6 bilang do-or-die match.
"We'll definitely go for it. We can't afford to be forced to a Game 7 kasi we know how difficult it is dealing with Meralco's defense. It showed in the latter part of Game 5, sobrang hirap," ani Tenorio. "So that's our do-or-die game on Friday."
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
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