The shoe will be on the other foot in Game 5 of the PBA Fiesta Conference Finals at the Big Dome tonight.
Last Friday, Willie Miller was all pumped up in leading Alaska to a rousing, come-from-behind 86-82 thriller over Talk ’N’ Text to level the best-of-7 series at two wins apiece. It was a fitting celebration of Miller’s 30th birthday and what a way to light up the fireworks.
Before Game 4, Miller was named the league’s MVP. And he proved his worth by putting Alaska on his back to score 29 points, including 10 in the fourth period, in the gutsy victory. A loss would’ve been devastating for the Aces. Not too many teams are able to recover from a 1-3 series deficit. Now, the series is knotted and it’s down to a best-of-3 where winning Game 5 is critical.
If Miller had something to celebrate on Friday the 13th, it’s the Phone Pals turn to toast their MVP today. Yesterday was team owner Manny V. Pangilinan’s birthday and coach Derick Pumaren’s charges are out to give him a big present with a Game 5 win.
Alaska did everything right not to spoil Miller’s party last Friday. The Aces held Talk ’N’ Text to less than 90, shot more free throws, 16-22 to 11-of-18, scored more turnover points, 24-16, on less errors, 15-20, got a big lift from the frontline (Reynel Hugnatan, John Ferriols and Sonny Thoss combined for 30 points compared to only 14 in Game 3) and shut down the Phone Pals’ supporting cast (J. J. Sullinger and MacMac Cardona were the only TNT players in double figure points).
Now, it’s the Phone Pals’ turn to adjust.
Talk ’N’ Text must pick up the tempo and turn Game 5 into a shooting contest. That means pressuring Alaska into turnovers and scoring in transition. To score big numbers, Pumaren must draw firepower not just from Sullinger and Cardona. On defense, the Phone Pals might allow Miller his points from the perimeter but can’t afford to give up high percentage interior baskets. Alaska was 0-of-7 from three-point distance in Game 4 but still shot .461 from the floor and won.
For sure, it’ll be another humdinger in the Finals tonight.
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IBF minimumweight champion Florante Condes, the youngest of six children, lost his father to tuberculosis before he turned pro in 2002. He takes care of his mother Juanita whom manager Aljoe Jaro brought from Romblon to live in a Cainta apartment and stay close to her son.
“All Condes thinks of is his family,” said Jaro. “He doesn’t like to spend on himself because he’d rather keep his money to build a house. He doesn’t even own a cellphone. I text his girlfriend Diana, who works in the Cainta municipal hall, for him. Now that he’s a world champion, he hasn’t changed. He commutes from Binangonan and Cainta to visit his mother. He’s very hard-working. Once, I saw him working out in the gym at midnight because he couldn’t sleep and didn’t want to waste the time. He can lift 190 pounds, that’s why he’s so strong.”
Condes had a brief amateur career and was brought by boxing referee Rudy Dalisay to Jaro who took a chance on the hard-hitting slugger. Jaro never regretted taking Condes in.
Condes and Bernabe Concepcion are Jaro’s prized protégés. The fighters live in Jaro’s home in Binangonan. Concepcion, 19, is unbeaten in two US bouts so far and will meet Gabriel Elizondo for the vacant North American Boxing Federation superbantamweight title in the Erik Morales-David Diaz undercard in Chicago on Aug. 4.
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Last year, Lebanon played two tune-up games against the Philippine team here before leaving for Saitama to compete at the World Basketball Championships. With coach Paul Coughter at the helm, Lebanon lost both contests, 94-75 and 105-100.
Guard Rony Fahed said the two losses were foremost in his mind when Lebanon played the Philippines at the recent Jones Cup in Taipei. Revenge was his motivation as he banked in the triple that lifted Lebanon to a 65-62 squeaker at the buzzer.
Lebanon finished second in the Jones Cup with a 6-3 record, losing only to Jordan (72-68), the US (81-70) and Chinese-Taipei (78-77 in OT). The Philippines wound up third by virtue of a superior quotient over Iran, South Korea, the US and Chinese-Taipei whose records were identical 5-4. In eighth spot was Qatar (3-6). Kazakhstan (2-7) finished ninth and Japan (2-7), last.
