By Jonas Terrado
Coach Robert Jaworski returned to the sidelines to steer the Ginebra legends to a 97-89 victory over the greats of rival Purefoods on Sunday to cap off a night of nostalgia in the Return of Rivals at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
One player from the post-Jaworski era played an integral role in Ginebra’s win fashioned out before almost 17,000 people as Jayjay Heltebrand produced a triple-double with 21 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists.
Members of Jaworski’s 1997 Commissioner’s Cup championship team were also key as Vince Hizon producing 19 points and nine rebounds, Marlou Aquino posting 15 points and eight rebounds, Noli Locsin 14 points and nine rebounds and Bal David 12 points.
Ginebra likewise frustrated a Purefoods side which only got six points each from Alvin Patrimonio and old buddy Jerry Codinera.
Roger Yap, who played for Purefoods during the 2000s, topscored for the losing squad with 27 points.
Jaworski was visibly active in calling the shots for Ginebra 20 years after his final PBA season in 1998.
Memories were relived as Jaworski steered a Ginebra team that also had players from the 80s and early-90s to a memorable victory.
“The good thing they were trying to give their best given the circumstances,” said Jaworski, who spent only a few days preparing for the event at Ginebra’s former practice facility at Greenmeadows.
Adding nostalgia to the game was the presence of Vince St. Price, who returned to his old role as coliseum barker. St. Price was the PBA’s voice for most of the 90’s until 2002.
In the first offering, Allan Caidic found his mark when it mattered to lead the legends of San Miguel Beer to a 96-83 comeback against counterparts from Alaska Milk.
Caidic bucked a 1-of-6 start from three-point range, hitting two crucial long toms late in the fourth quarter that sealed the Beermen’s victory.
He finished with 26 points on 6-of-14 triples to emerge as the game’s Most Valuable Player.
Also key in San Miguel’s victory was two-time PBA MVP Danny Ildefonso, who flaunted his patented post moves to help San Miguel recover from a 40-32 halftime deficit.
Ildefonso scored eight of his 14 points in the third before Caidic engaged in a shootout with Alaska’s Willie Miller, who had 20 points for the Milkmen in a losing cause.
