Both teams are seeking a special place in league history with the Bulls determined to be the first team to complete a grand slam under the league’s reformatted season calendar while the Giants want to share record with San Miguel as the winningest among all active ball clubs in All-Filipino tourneys.
The All-Filipino is considered the most prestigious tournament in the league that both the Bulls and the Giants vowed to win the coveted crown at all costs.
Red Bull coach Yeng Guiao said he’s seen the best and the worst in the league and he may consider retirement once he wins an All-Filipino championship.
"Baby Dalupan, Robert Jaworski, Ed Ocampo were still there when I joined the league. I saw Tony Harris make 105 points in one game and I saw Eugene Tejada take that fall. I’ve long been in the league and I’ve seen it all except an All-Filipino championship," said Guiao.
Four-time MVP winner Alvin Patrimonio, meanwhile, is just happy to be back in the All-Filipino finals though he’s now confined on the bench as Purefoods team manager.
Patrimonio led Purefoods to three All-Filipino title conquests in his heydays with the last in 1997 under coach Eric Altamirano. The Giants are raring to end the nine-year dry spell to tie the Beermen’s record with four crowns.
Only the defunct Crispa ball club had won more All-Filipino championships at five.
"We’ve gone through adversities. And one thing we can promise. We’ll show nothing less than what we had put up in beating Ginebra San Miguel in a deciding Game Five in the quarterfinals and San Miguel in a deciding Game Seven in the semis," said Guiao.
"We’ve also gone through difficult situations. In fact, we had to survive three knockout games against Alaska (in the semis). We’re happy but we’re not satisfied. We’ll not celebrate until, God willing, we get it all the way to the top," said Purefoods coach Ryan Gregorio.
Guiao, Gregorio and some of the Red Bull and Purefoods key players attended the pre-final press conference for the coming Gran Matador Brandy PBA Philippine Cup finals at Emerald restaurant on Roxas Blvd yesterday.
Both Guiao and Gregorio believed their teams are equipped and determined enough to have a good shot at winning the championship.
Guiao said he has a deep bench with their 11th and 12th players capable of playing 20 solid minutes.
Gregorio, on the other hand, thought he’s armed with great shooters that can break down the Red Bull defense.
"Our No. 1 strength is that for such a young team, my players have shown extra ordinary mental toughness. They said Red Bull plays physical but that’s not what’s keeping us strong, we just do what it takes to win," said Guiao.
"We have physical toughness that comes with mental toughness. Lordy Tugade will shoot the ball whatever happens, Enrico Villanueva will pound the boards and
Topex Robinson will hound you from baseline to baseline. Ganyan kami," Guiao added.