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SAN MIG COFFEE needs to summon strength from its
glorious past if only to avert a Harbour Centre romp and stay alive
in the semifinals of the 2008 Philippine Basketball League Lipovitan
Amino Sports Cup.
Staring at an 0-2 deficit in the
best-of-5 series, another loss would mean the end of the season for
the Coffee Kings and a fifth straight finals appearance for the
defending champion Batang Pier.
The two meet again in Game 3 set
Wednesday at the Muntinlupa Sports Complex, shortly after Hapee
Toothpaste similarly guns for a sweep of its own semifinals series
with Burger King and tries to set up a finals rematch with Harbour
Centre.
Game time between the Complete
Protectors and Whoppers is at 2 p.m. followed by the Batang
Pier-Coffee Kings duel two hours later.
The complex scenario is nothing
new to San Mig Coffee. Two years ago, the team—then carrying the
brand name Magnolia—rallied back from 0-2 down in its title series
against Rain or Shine to win the 2006 PBL Heroes Cup and complete
one of the most stirring victories ever in the 26-year history of
the league.
Backstopped by Kelly Williams,
Arwind Santos, Dennis Miranda and Mark Isip, Magnolia was mentored
by Koy Banal.
Only Banal remains with the team
and admits pulling off a similar feat would be a tough act to follow
especially against a star-studded Harbour Centre team on a mission
of winning a fifth straight league championship.
Batang Pier mentor Jorge Gallent
intends to finish the series and not give the Coffee Kings any
semblance of life.
“We will try to finish it on
Thursday. If we play how we played in the fourth quarter, then
walang problema. But if we play like how we started in the first
three quarters baka magka-problema,” said Gallent after his
team’s 69-55 win in Game 2 Monday at the University of Cordilleras
gym in Baguio City.
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