Double sudden death

Mobiline has suffered the ignominy of bungling a "twice-to-beat" privilege and is determined to slay the ghost of that setback. Barangay Ginebra, meanwhile, has advanced in the playoffs despite not having the decisive advantage and is raring to duplicate that feat.

Forcing a rubbermatch versus Shell and Purefoods in their respective matchups, Mobiline and Ginebra return to battle tonight, hoping to complete a reversal that will keep them in the hunt for the coveted PBA All-Filipino championship.

The double sudden-death is set at the Philsports Arena with the Phone Pals and the Turbochargers taking the floor in the 5:15 p.m. opener again, then the Gin Kings and the Hotdogs in the 7:30 p.m. mainer.

Mobiline outlasted Shell, 76-72, while Ginebra nosed out Purefoods, 77-76, to extend their respective playoffs to a deciding second game.

Mobiline coach Louie Alas said the memory of the team’s harrowing defeat to Ginebra in the same tournament in 1999 is fresh in their mind and that is the motivating factor that could carry them past Shell.

Shell coach Perry Ronquillo, meanwhile, thought his team did itself in Sunday and he’s confident they will bounce back to avoid a big upset.
"We saw Asi in 1999 and I’m sure my boys don’t want that to happen to them," said Ronquillo, referring to Asi Taulava who cried unabashedly on the bench after his top-seeded Mobiline team fell by the wayside, fumbling a twice-to-beat advantage to Ginebra.

Ginebra became the first of only two teams to advance in a best-of-five semifinals via the backdoor. And the La Tondena franchise hopes to do it again versus Purefoods — curiously one of two teams to have squandered the twice-to-beat edge.

If they were to complete an upset versus Purefoods, Ginebra coach Allan Caidic said they have to keep on shooting well from the outside.

"Iyun lang ang magiging susi for us to open up Purefoods’ interior defense and allow our main men Jun Limpot and Vergel Meneses to do their things," said Caidic.