Comeback Wizards capture PBL crown

Magnolia Ice Cream showed nerves of steel and played as a team down the stretch as it trounced Rain or Shine, 75-60, yesterday to clinch the PBL Heroes Cup crown and complete one of the most dramatic comebacks in league history before a huge crowd at San Andres Gym.

Arwind Santos and Kelly Williams combined for 39 points, 21 rebounds and five assists as the Wizards became the first team in more than a decade to come back from a 0-2 deficit in a best-of-five duel to win the crown.

Magnolia’s blue and white confetti fell from the rafters as Santos and Williams, adjudged the series MVP, celebrated the improbable title conquest at mid-court with the coaching and team staff.

The red and white balloons, prepared by Rain or Shine as early as two weeks ago, just got stuck up there.

"Faith gave us the strength and the patience to go on and not give up," said Magnolia coach Koy Banal.

While Santos and Williams played true to form and got most of the job done, Jeff Chan and Jason Misolas did the rest.

Silent in the first four games, Chan spewed fire this time and fired 16 points while Misolas, a workhorse noted more for his defensive skills, added 15, including nine in the fourth quarter that set the tone for the San Miguel Corp.-owned franchise’s romp.

Chan was eventually named Pivotal Player of the series.

"All are heroes in this team, not just Arwind, Kelly, Jeff and Jason," said Banal.

Despite the absence of Jojo Tangkay, the Elasto Painters managed to keep it close in a match that saw the leads change hand nine times with four deadlocks.

The last came when Marvin Ortiguerra knotted the count at 56-all with less than four minutes left in the contest as Gerard Jones’ driving lay-up sparked the run that sealed it for Magnolia.

Rain or Shine, which failed on its bid for a seventh title overall, simply missed the veteran Tangkay during that stretch.

Tangkay, the conference MVP, served a one-game suspension for punching Santos in the nose in Game 4.

There were also some anxious moments when Banal twice lost his cool. The first was in the second quarter when he engaged Rain or Shine coach Caloy Garcia in a verbal tussle and the other a few minutes later, when he blew his top after complaining that the foul called against Williams by Jay Sagad should’ve been called a flagrant foul.

"I was trying to show my team that we should never back down but I realized it was a mind game," said Banal.

It was the Wellbest-owned franchise’s fourth loss in as many games in a series that was decided in a knockout game. Welcoat lost Shark in seven games in the 2001 Challenge Cup, Fazz Liquid Detergent in five in the 2003 Unity Cup and to Magnolia, then under the product Viva Mineral Water, also in five in last year’s Open Championship.