Gruelling PBA title duel in the works

Despite blowing Game One, Red Bull remains confident with the odds heavy on its side going into Game Two of their Gran Matador Brandy PBA Philippine Cup title showdown with Purefoods at the Astrodome today.

It was a thriller of a game. In fact, the coaches of the contending teams said the way their charges held their own in the pulsating encounter augured well for the Bulls and the Giants in what could be a gruelling best-of-seven encounter.

They saw positive signs for their respective teams in Wednesday’s opener at the Araneta Coliseum.

"We had a big lead going into the second half. We lost it in one quarter but I think the more important thing was that we’re able to bounce back and held on to win," said Purefoods Ryan Gregorio.

"We didn’t compete in the first half. The boys only worked hard after the halftime break and they had a 19-point deficit wiped out in nine or 10 minutes. That means the ability to play is there," said Guiao.

With both teams in high spirits, the Giants and the Bulls are likely to figure in another fierce battle in Game Two of the series sponsored by Welcoat Paints set at 7:10 p.m. in the Pasay City venue.

The Giants have gained some morale boost on the splendid efforts put up by their reserves in Game One.

"My bench players are ready to play. Inasmuch as they didn’t play a lot of minutes in the semis, we pushed them during practices. When called into action, they proved they could play," said Gregorio.

Richard Yee made 12 points, Jun Peter Simon scored 11 and the entire Purefoods reserve crew produced 34 as against their Red Bull counterpart’s 29.

Yee, a former UST mainstay, even came through with numerous crucial plays down the stretch to help the Giants draw first blood in the title playoff.

"That’s the point I’m trying to drive at. My reserves belong in this league. Whether they play few or extended minutes, the effort is what counts for us," said Gregorio.

Actually, the Bulls’ second stringers didn’t do badly but the whole team appeared to have spent itself charging back from a 19-point halftime deficit. The Bulls wiped it out in nine minutes in the third period.

"We learned a big lesson and certainly we’ll play with a lot of energy from the start in Game Two," said Guiao.

"The boys have shown that if they wanted to, they could really play and that’s the reason we remain confident in this championship," Guiao added.