Giants, Bulls take 2nd crack at finals

The Barangay Ginebra Kings and the Air21 Express hope to ride the momentum of crucial wins the last time out while Red Bulls and the Purefoods Chunkee Giants try to end their respective series in Game Six tonight in the San Mig Coffee PBA Fiesta Cup Final Four at the Astrodome.

The Bulls and the Giants aim to make good in their second crack at the finals while the Kings and Express bid to sustain their winning efforts Wednesday to force a sudden death.

"We’re derailed Wednesday but we’re definitely going flat out to close it out Friday. We’ll treat Game Six as the last game of the series. We’ll not allow a Game Seven," said Purefoods coach Ryan Gregorio.

"Definitely, it’s very hard to play Ginebra in a sudden death, so we have to finish them Friday if we’re to make the finals," said Red Bull coach Yeng Guiao.

Should the Giants and the Bulls achieve their goals tonight, the two teams set up their first-ever title collision in the league. Curiously, both teams are looking for their first title in four years. Purefoods and Red Bull last reigned supreme in the league in 2002 with the former ruling the Governors’ Cup and the latter topping the Commissioner’s Cup.

The Kings and the Express, however, aren’t about to give up the fight.

"It’s no secret that this team thrives under pressure. Tumatapang ito when push comes to shove," said Ginebra coach Siot Tanquingcen.

"The team rides on emotion so it’s always an advantage for us whenever our backs are against the wall," said Air21 coach Bo Perasol.

The two teams have survived one knockout game so far with their victories in Game Fives at the Araneta Coliseum. They need to win three in a row to salvage a stint in the finals.

For the record, only one team in the long history of the league has ever come back from a 1-3 deficit in a best-of-seven showdown. Ginebra did the trick in the 1991 First Conference against Shell.

However, the Kings have the raging Bulls with their prolific import James Penny to contend with this time.

And the Bulls are likely to come out with so much emotion tonight after losing Game Five where Penny served a one-game suspension for two questionable technical fouls he incurred in Game Four.

Even without Penny, the Bulls actually put up a gallant fight only to lose steam in the final quarter Wednesday.

The Giants, meanwhile, dropped Game Five to the Express as Roger Yap fumbled a potential game-winning play in the closing seconds.

"We felt some pressure to close out Wednesday. But we enjoyed the luxury of a 3-1 lead. We’re still on the driver’s seat but the plan really is to end it Friday," said Gregorio.

"I’m not going to coach motivation Friday because I know all my players are highly motivated. It’s all about the Xs and Os plus the good breaks," Gregorio added.