"They (Williams and Santos) were our source of strength the whole conference," said Banal, minutes after steering the Wizards to a stirring come-from-behind 3-2 victory over the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in their best-of-five series Thursday.
"But if you’re going to ask me about heroes, there are a bunch of them. From management, the players to coaching staff to our utility men, and, most especially, God," added the former Far Eastern University mentor.
Williams and Santos provided almost everything the San Miguel Corp.-owned franchise needed — from scoring, playing decoy, rebounding, blocking shots or simply intimidating the opposition.
Williams, in fact, was named MVP of the series.
It was actually an award many thought Santos should’ve shared with his Fil-Am teammate since the wiry, high-leaping, sweet-shooting Lubao, Pampanga native also played a key role in the series when the Wizards had to literally dig their way out of a big hole after trailing 0-2.
But Jeff Chan, Kim Valenzuela and RJ Rizada also dished out superb games, particularly in the game that mattered most. Chan eventually turned out to be the pivotal player of the series with clutch plays in the decider.
Rizada, for his part, starred in Game 4 and also shone in Game 5 despite playing hurt.
"RJ got hurt but when I told him to get back there, he just did without questions," said Banal, also an assistant coach at Purefoods in the PBA.
There was also Jason Misolas, a silent worker whose main weapon was his defense. But in Game 5, he shone on the offensive end, unleashing nine of his 15 points in a big Magnolia blitz in the fourth quarter.
And there’s the pair of Joel Co and Gerard Jones.
"I may have played Joel and Gerard sparingly but the things they did for the team was really immeasurable," said Banal.
"Joel was the glue that kept the team together. He and Gerard convinced the players to stay together even though we were down 0-2 early in the series," he added.
That’s how valuable these shock troopers are to Banal. For him, it’s not only the stars who should take credit for Magnolia’s title conquest.
"It’s the team effort that counts in the end," said Banal. "That’s how important their contributions to the team, more than the minutes they logged in the court, because the players would have given up easily if not for them."