(From Business Mirror)
Purefoods coach Ryan Gregorio said he and his Giants have no reason to celebrate until they have clinched win No. 4.
The Giants have a chance to wrap up their titular series against the Alaska Aces and earn the distinction as 2009-10 KFC-Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup champions with another victory in Game Four, scheduled at 7 o’clock on Wednesday night at the Araneta Coliseum.
“I always look at [Alaska coach] Tim Cone as the best coach in the league. At this point there is no reason for me to be happy. It takes four wins to wrap up the series, so until we nail that fourth win, there’s no reason for me or my players to celebrate,” said Gregorio, on the verge of notching his third career championship and become the first Purefoods coach to win two All-Filipino conferences.
It’s hard to imagine that a tired and overworked Purefoods team is threatening to deal Alaska its worst finals defeat in franchise history.
In the 35-year history of the league, only two teams have complete a four-game sweep of the championship series.
The RP Team coached by Ron Jacobs and carrying the colors of Northern Consolidated Cement accomplished the feat as guest squad by beating Manila Beer in the 1985 Reinforced Conference Finals. The Swift Mighty Meaties, powered by import Tony Harris and coached by Yeng Guiao, did it against Seven-Up in the Finals of the 1992 Third Conference.
Two days before the title showdown, Cone appeared strongly confident about ending Alaska’s 10-year title drought with practically the same roster that came up short against Talk ’N Text in the finals of last season’s Fiesta Cup.
But the usually disciplined Aces, who swept Barangay Ginebra in four games in the semifinals, inexplicably lost their poise and focus, particularly in Games Two and Three.
In those two crucial games, the Giants battled back from double-digit deficits with huge help from its bench and claimed victory on both occasions with excellent defense in the closing seconds.
Gregorio said they will stick with the same game plan for Game Four.
“We will again set the tone on defense,” he said. “We expect a determined Alaska to be firing on all cylinders so we have to equal, if not surpass, the effort that they will render in Game Four.”
Cone, who has won three All-Filipino conferences, the last over Purefoods in 2000, said he will tip his hat and sing praises to the Giants when they win the series.
“But the series is not over yet,” he proclaimed. He said their first order of business is to go out and try to win on Wednesday.
“Our attitude is, they beat us three straight so there’s no reason we can’t beat them three straight.”
Purefoods coach Ryan Gregorio said he and his Giants have no reason to celebrate until they have clinched win No. 4.
The Giants have a chance to wrap up their titular series against the Alaska Aces and earn the distinction as 2009-10 KFC-Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup champions with another victory in Game Four, scheduled at 7 o’clock on Wednesday night at the Araneta Coliseum.
“I always look at [Alaska coach] Tim Cone as the best coach in the league. At this point there is no reason for me to be happy. It takes four wins to wrap up the series, so until we nail that fourth win, there’s no reason for me or my players to celebrate,” said Gregorio, on the verge of notching his third career championship and become the first Purefoods coach to win two All-Filipino conferences.
It’s hard to imagine that a tired and overworked Purefoods team is threatening to deal Alaska its worst finals defeat in franchise history.
In the 35-year history of the league, only two teams have complete a four-game sweep of the championship series.
The RP Team coached by Ron Jacobs and carrying the colors of Northern Consolidated Cement accomplished the feat as guest squad by beating Manila Beer in the 1985 Reinforced Conference Finals. The Swift Mighty Meaties, powered by import Tony Harris and coached by Yeng Guiao, did it against Seven-Up in the Finals of the 1992 Third Conference.
Two days before the title showdown, Cone appeared strongly confident about ending Alaska’s 10-year title drought with practically the same roster that came up short against Talk ’N Text in the finals of last season’s Fiesta Cup.
But the usually disciplined Aces, who swept Barangay Ginebra in four games in the semifinals, inexplicably lost their poise and focus, particularly in Games Two and Three.
In those two crucial games, the Giants battled back from double-digit deficits with huge help from its bench and claimed victory on both occasions with excellent defense in the closing seconds.
Gregorio said they will stick with the same game plan for Game Four.
“We will again set the tone on defense,” he said. “We expect a determined Alaska to be firing on all cylinders so we have to equal, if not surpass, the effort that they will render in Game Four.”
Cone, who has won three All-Filipino conferences, the last over Purefoods in 2000, said he will tip his hat and sing praises to the Giants when they win the series.
“But the series is not over yet,” he proclaimed. He said their first order of business is to go out and try to win on Wednesday.
“Our attitude is, they beat us three straight so there’s no reason we can’t beat them three straight.”
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