By REYNALD MAGALLON
Game Seven.
It’s the biggest and most thrilling two words in sports – more so with two teams with a storied rivalry in the main cast in what pegged to be another epic clash.
It’s where the stars, who have the nerves and the guts, further cements their status and are elevated to a higher pedestal on top of the others.
None of the first six games anymore matter. It now all boils down to the one who wants it more, craves it more and is hungry for more.
Barangay Ginebra and Meralco are out to leave everything they got in a battle of no tomorrow in the Game 7 of their best-of-seven semifinals series in the 2024 PBA Philippine Cup on Friday, May 31.
Fittingly, it will be held in a venue in San Jose, Batangas named after the biggest star of them all – the late showbiz icon Fernando Poe Jr.
Tip-off at the FPJ Arena is at 7:30 p.m. with the Bolts and the Kings eyeing an epic conclusion to their thrilling battle before an anticipated huge crowd in the first ever deciding Game 7 to be held out-of-town in the league history.
Meralco, which pulled off an 86-81 victory in Game 6 on Wednesday to force the rubber match, said there’s not really much to be done for Game 7 with the short turnaround and the team only needs to stick to what worked for them and grind it out against their battle-tested rivals.
“Do or die na kami sa Friday tapos one day lang yung pahinga yung preparation mo so samin talaga kung sino ‘yung may mas gusto yun yung kung makakakuha ng panalo,” said Game 5 hero Bong Quinto.
“There’s not a lot the teams can do at this point. It’s like a mental thing already. It’s either you have it or you don’t. Sana and I think we have it and they probably have the same belief that they believe in their players and we believe in our players,” echoed head coach Luigi Trillo.
Dreaming big was Meralco which is not only hoping to barge into its very finals appearance in the all-Filipino conference but also looking to notch their first Game 7 win.
The Bolts are 0-6 in best-of-seven affairs – four of those losses against the Kings – the same team they have to beat to finally break through.
To do so, the Bolts need their stars in Quinto, Chris Newsome, Chris Banchero and Allein Maliksi to once again rise to the occasion as the seasoned stars of the Kings in Christian Standhardinger, Japeth Aguilar and Scottie Thompson all used to the big games and expected to step up.
“Pagalingan na ito both sides. Respect to that side over there but kami rin, I think we are capable as well. We believe in these guys, we have the poise, we have the grit and we will be ready on Friday,” stressed Trillo.
