Streaking Kings on track for record run

Barangay Ginebra is one win away from tying a league winning run but coach Jong Uichico says they’re more concerned with maintaining their form and winning attitude as they await either Magnolia or Air21 in the Smart PBA Fiesta Conference Finals.

Observers feel the Kings might be due to lose a game, having made an amazing 12-game romp dating back to the double-round elimination phase of the season-ending tourney. Others say the law of averages may finally catch up with the Kings in the best-of-seven finals starting either Sunday or Wednesday.

The Ginebra mentor, however, hardly entertains these thoughts, saying they’re focused on giving their best shots in every game. He doesn’t mind either that a win in the title playoff opener will enable them to tie the Alaska Milk’s 13-game romp established during its 1996 grand slam season.

The longest streak of 21 games, however, still belongs to Crispa which did the feat in the 1983 season. Three years earlier, Crispa also made a record of 19 straight victories in a conference — All-Filipino.

“We’re not thinking about the streak. Our job is to win as many games possible,” said Uichico, the fourth winningest coach in the league with seven titles tucked under his belt.

Ginebra is enjoying a respite after sweeping past Red Bull in the semifinals. The Kings are doing light workouts, not knowing which ball club they will be playing in the finals.

“The last time I was asked to pick which team I preferred to play, I got burned. The team I picked eventually beat us,” said Uichico.

Neither did he name the team he thought they would have a better match-up in the series. “I’m not good at that,” he said.

Uichico said the Kings are determined to win the crown that will make Ginebra the fifth most winningest team in the league after San Miguel (with 17 titles), Crispa (13), Alaska Milk (12) and Toyota (nine). At the moment, Ginebra shares the distinction with Purefoods with seven championships each.

He had won six crowns with San Miguel (now known as Magnolia), is looking for his second title in two seasons with the Kings.

Unbeaten dating back to the elims, the Kings have preserved their clean slate in the playoffs, blanking the Sta. Lucia Realtors in their best-of-three quarterfinals confrontation and shutting out the Bulls in four games in the semis.