Last Friday, Sta. Lucia Realty and Air21 slugged it out for the last quarterfinals berth in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) All-Filipino conference at the Cuneta Astrodome.
The winner stayed in contention for the title, advancing to play Red Bull in a best-of-5 series. The loser joined Welcoat, Coca-Cola and Alaska in mourning.
Sta. Lucia opened the conference like a house on fire, racing to a 6-1 mark. The Realtors were on top of the standings for a while until the cracks on Sta. Lucia’s wall began to surface. In a startling tailspin, Sta. Lucia ended the eliminations losing five of its last six outings.
In the wildcard series, Sta. Lucia coach AlFrancis Chua didn’t know if the Realtors were coming or going. They opened the series losing to Air21 by 22 then crushed Coca-Cola by 47 before bowing to Alaska by eight. Air21, in contrast, swept its assignments to earn a playoff for the last quarterfinals slot.
So the stage was set for last Friday’s playoff. It was a win or go home situation.
Chua’s problem was skipper Dennis Espino’s condition. Espino didn’t play the previous game against Alaska to rest his banged up left knee but begged to contribute even in a small way.
During the Christmas holidays, Chua stayed home while his wife Jocelyn and their four boys went on vacation in Hong Kong. He never got to use his plane ticket.
Even Sta. Lucia team manager Buddy Encarnado didn’t enjoy the yearend break. He traditionally spends the holidays in Baguio with his family. But last Christmas, Encarnado kept vigil with the team, attending each and every practice.
Before Friday’s duel, Chua had a heart-to-heart talk with his players, especially Marlou Aquino.
"I told Marlou even coach Ron (Jacobs) believes he’s the best player in the league if he only comes to play," said Chua. "I usually fill up the blackboard with notes on matchups, reminders and whatever else in the lockerroom. But this time, the blackboard was blank. I just told the guys they know what to do, so just do it. I told them to play with the same intensity they showed in beating Coca-Cola. I told them no matter what happens, I’m proud of them and I love them. One last thing, I told them to make sure they stay healthy because we play Red Bull in the first game on Sunday. That got everyone going."
Chua’s plan was to attack Air21’s postmen and make Aquino the first option on offense. On defense, his goal was to stop Ranidel de Ocampo.
"I saw a weakness in Air21’s post defense so I thought of exploiting that," explained Chua. "With Ranidel, I noticed he has no problem scoring against big guys because he’s quick, he can dribble and he can move around them. So I thought of putting a small guy like Bitoy (Omolon) to guard him."
Chua’s twin gambles paid off. Aquino, averaging 7.3 points and 21.1 minutes, erupted for 26 points in 35 minutes before fouling out with 35.4 seconds left in regulation. De Ocampo, hitting at a 16.6 clip, was held to nine points.
Air21 fought to the bitter end. The Express forced overtime and had a six-point lead in extension before Kelly Williams, in a superhuman effort, took charge down the stretch to put it away for Sta. Lucia, 121-118.
Chua took his wife out to dinner on Roxas Boulevard after the game.
"It was our Christmas and New Year celebration," said Chua. "We slept at 4:30 in the morning and woke up at 10. Our practice was at 2. It wasn’t easy moving up to the quarterfinals. Boss Buddy was a big factor. Hindi siya bumitaw. He never lost faith in us. And I wouldn’t have survived without the support of my wife and kids."
A lot of heroes emerged Friday night.
Aquino. Williams. Espino for refusing to give up and chipping in five points in 14 minutes. Alex Cabagnot for his leadership, playmaking, poise and clutch triple in overtime. Kenneth Duremdes for his all-around effort with 12 points, six rebounds and five assists — he suffered a dislocated finger in his left hand in the process. Paolo Mendoza for his outside sniping (Sta. Lucia hit 12-of-25 triples compared to Air21’s 4-of-20). Norman Gonzales for his steady shooting (7-of-7 free throws), defense (against de Ocampo) and toughness under the boards (eight rebounds). Ronnie Bughao for his two rebounds and three assists in relieving Cabagnot. Ricky Calimag for his two big free throws in the closing seconds of extension. Mark Isip for his inside presence with Aquino and Espino on the bench. Omolon for his six rebounds and unforgiving defense.
But the biggest hero of them all was the Skyscraper who at 34, is in his 11th PBA season.
"That wasn’t just for one night," said Chua, referring to Aquino’s explosion. "He can do that every game. You know what? With the game over, in the dugout, Marlou told us he’s good for another three years. That was when we all broke out cheering."
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