Game One key in series

One team is trying to quench a seven-year title drought while the other is hoping to put a happy ending to an incredible campaign.

Hapee Toothpaste and Viva Mineral Water start their best-of-five showdown for the Sunkist PBL Unity Cup crown today at the Quezon Convention Center in Lucena City in a game experts believe will determine how the two teams will fare in the series.

Gametime is set at 4 p.m. following the John-O-Montana Pawnshop knockout duel for third place at 1:30 p.m.

"Importante ang Game 1 sa series na ito dahil dito natin masusukat ang kalaban, kung kaya ba namin sila o hindi," said Hapee coach Junel Baculi, raring to hand the Lamoiyan Corp. franchise its first championship since bagging the 1996 Reinforced Conference crown.

"Tatlo o apat," added Baculi, referring to the number of games he thinks they would need to finish off an inexperienced but overachieving rivals whom they beat four times in this tournament.

Water Force mentor Coy Banal, for his part, said they’re happy to make it to the finals.

"Honestly, to come this far through the backdoor despite our inexperience is a big accomplishment in itself," he said. "Pero siyempre, hindi lang hanggang dito ang mindset namin, we’re also entertaining thoughts of pulling off an upset."

Just look at what the Water Force are up against: Rich Alvarez, Peter Simon, Wesley Gonzales, LA Tenorio, Larry Fonacier, Allan Salangsang and Patrick Benedicto — all veterans of past PBL wars.

"Malaki ang advantage namin sa experience, pero hindi pa rin naming sila pwedeng balewalain," said Joel Dualan, the veteran Hapee defender who was part of that 1996 champion team.