Ginebra, Shell go for last finals slot

If it were baseball, what Shell would try to complete and Ginebra would try to avoid tonight is a strikeout.

After Shell twice dodged a potential killer blow from Ginebra, the two teams’ duel boils down to a knockout game with the loser eventually falling by the wayside and the winner advancing into the PBA All-Filipino Cup Finals versus San Miguel Beer.

With tension in the country slowly easing up following violent confrontations between rabid Estrada supporters and government troops Tuesday, PBA fans are expected to troop back to the playing venue to watch the sudden-death set at 7:15 p.m. at the Araneta Coliseum.

San Miguel will now only scout the game as it clinched the first slot in the best-of-seven titular series after ousting Pop Cola, 91-87, Wednesday.

Coaches of both Ginebra and Shell expect a total war with each one brimming with confidence they will come out victorious to get a shot at the league’s most coveted crown.

Shell coach Perry Ronquillo thinks they will have the slight edge as his team will come into the game with a positive frame of mind following two straight wins over Ginebra.

Ginebra coach Allan Caidic, meanwhile, believes his team thrives under pressure, thus, he’s confident they will not give up and instead step up in this winner-take-all setto.

Curiously, both teams have played three knockout games in this tournament alone, surviving all those matches.

"We’ve been in this situation many times before and we’ve shown we have a big heart. Surely, this is another big test for us. But I believe in my players. They have pride and I’m sure they’ll prove it," said Ronquillo.

"Definitely, it’s not all over for us. We’ve bungled two chances of making it to the finals but we still have another one," said Caidic.

Siguro naman kilala natin ang Ginebra. They play big when their back is against the wall," said Caidic.

Last Wednesday, Caidic thought the Kings played well but lost patience and succumbed to pressure when the Turbochargers made a decisive run in the second half.

"Sa first half, we played as one cohesive team kaya lang noong lumayo ang Shell, medyo nawala ang pasensya at lumaro na ng kanya-kanyang diskarte," said Caidic.

Caidic said he’ll surely make some adjustments and he’s hoping his players stick with the gameplan.