San Juan, Negros fancied vs foes

Will it be another Andok’s San Juan-Negros title duel or will it be the other way around?

The Knights try to make a followup to their 2-0 sweep of the Laguna Lakers Friday as they clash with a talent-laden LBC Batangas Blades in today’s start of the regional finals in the 2001 MBA National Playoffs.

The Slashers, on the other hand, play the Cebuana Lhuillier Gems at the University of St. La Salle Gym in Bacolod City at 3 p.m. in Game 1 of their best-of-five Southern Conference finals showdown.

Like Andok’s San Juan, Cebuana Lhuillier also had to go through a tough series versus TPG Davao although it went on to sweep the semis in two games.

Although they will be playing in hostile territory, Andok’s San Juan coach Philip Cezar is not a bit worried.

"We’ve been in this kind of situation before and we managed to succeed because we know how to deal with it," he said.

Unlike in the South where Negros plays Cebuana Lhuillier at home in Games 1, 2 and 5, LBC Batnagas plays Andok’s San Juan at home only in Game 1, and if necessary, Games 4 and 5, due mainly to last-minute changes made by the MBA and the Blades management.

Cezar will bank anew on its four-pronged threat in Chris Calaguio, Bruce Dacia, Omanzie Rodriguez and Rafi Reavis, the MBA press corps’ choice as the week’s best due mainly to his heroics in the semis versus Fedex Laguna.

But for LBC Batangas, a desire to end a long title drought could spark them to achieve their goal.

"The team, especially the management, wants us to win badly because the franchise has never reached the finals in their four years in the league," said youthful Blades mentor Rash Racela.