Although these are explosive duels in the making in the season about to end, the semifinals pairing between the Beermen and the Turbo Chargers may serve up a fiery side dish from the sideline. It will be an exciting battle of wits between talented coaches — Perry Ronquillo and the duo of Ron Jacobs and Jong Uichico — frontrunners for the mentorship of the national team bound for the Asian Games.
Ronquillo may not admit it but probably at the back of his mind, he’s not only thinking of the Shell bid but also of the prospect of outwitting the San Miguel tacticians who are also chief contenders to handle the RP team to the Pusan Games.
Hours after the Commissioner’s Office announced its battleplan for the Korean joust Wednesday night, the Shell mentor pulled one over Jacobs and protegee Allan Caidic as the Turbo Chargers overwhelmed the Ginebra Kings, 106-97, in their do-or-die battle for the last slot in the semis.
That lined up Ronquillo and his Turbo Chargers against the Jacobs-Uichico tandem and their Beermen in a best-of-five semis showdown.
"We’re up against the best team in the league today, so we’ll just come out there, relax and enjoy the series, " said Ronquillo.
But Ronquillo is optimistic they can give the Beermen a good fight, despite a crippled lineup minus Dale Singson and Benjie Paras, hoping to lean on his team’s big fighting heart. — Nelson Beltran