Hand of God

Petron forward Danny Ildefonso didn’t take the Lord’s name in vain when he said it was God who shot the buzzer-beating jumper that lifted the Blaze to a pulsating 89-88 win over highly-favored Talk ‘N’ Text in Game 1 of the PBA Governors Cup finals at the Smart Araneta Coliseum last Sunday.

It was Ildefonso’s way of praising the Almighty for the bucket that has turned what was initially considered to be a one-sided series into an exciting, unpredictable duel.

Argentinian football legend Diego Maradona almost blasphemed when he said it was the “hand of God” that delivered the first goal against England in the World Cup quarterfinals in Mexico in 1986. The reference, of course, was to his own hand. At first, Maradona said the goal was produced by “a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God.” Maradona later admitted he deliberately used his hand to put the ball into the net. Despite the admission, the goal stood and Argentina eliminated England, 2-1. To his credit, Maradona’s second goal was an absolute beauty. He dribbled 66 yards with about 11 touches of the ball, zigzagged away from five defenders and took it home past English goalkeeper Peter Shilton. Argentina went on to beat Belgium behind Maradona’s two goals in the semis then edged West Germany, 3-2, for the title before 115,000 fans at the Azteca Stadium.

For Ildefonso, the moment of triumph couldn’t have been more timely. Two years ago, he was advised to retire after rupturing a tendon in the sole of his right foot. US doctors were provided MRIs of Ildefonso’s injured foot and suggested immediate retirement from basketball for fear that an aggravation could lead to permanent crippling. But Ildefonso refused to give up without a fight. With Dr. George Canlas supervising his rehabilitation, Ildefonso worked long and hard for 3 1/2 months to strengthen his foot.

Ildefonso, 34, played in only 19 games in the 2008-09 season compared to Dondon Hontiveros and Mick Pennisi who saw action in all of the team’s 57 outings. Then, he saw action in just 39 of 56 games the next season. The good news is this campaign, Ildefonso has sat out only eight of 50 contests so far. It’s a tribute to his fighting heart, self-discipline and faith in God.

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Ildefonso has been a fixture in seven PBA championship squads and is now in his 17th finals in his 13th season since he was picked first overall by Shell in the 1998 draft and traded to San Miguel Beer for Noy Castillo. His career has been nothing short of glowing. Ildefonso was Rookie of the Year in 1998 and MVP in 2000 and 2001.

After nailing the decisive basket last Sunday, Ildefonso said it was his first buzzer-beating closer in his long PBA career. On whether his performance would lead to a renewal of his Petron contract, he smiled and said that, too, is in God’s hands. Ildefonso, Jojo Duncil and Lordy Tugade are the only Petron players with expiring contracts.

For Petron coach Ato Agustin, the victory was a vindication and proof that the Blaze can’t be taken lightly in the finals. Asked if he thought Talk ‘N’ Text coach Chot Reyes chose to play Petron instead of Barangay Ginebra in the finals by losing its last semifinal assignment, Agustin said he couldn’t blame the Texters because the Blaze is undermanned. Star forward Jay Washington underwent a one-hour procedure to repair a torn tendon in his left foot last Wednesday and will be out three to four months. Rookie center Rabeh Al-Hussaini had a 40-minute surgery for an anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction in the right knee last Monday and will sit out at least six months. Both operations were performed by Dr. Canlas at St. Luke’s Medical Center. Tugade and Joseph Yeo are also in the injured list. Yeo, however, may be reactivated any day now.

Agustin and Reyes were matched against each other in the Philippine Cup finals early this year. Talk ‘N’ Text surged to a 2-0 lead but Petron, then known as San Miguel Beer, came back to level the count before the Texters sealed it with two wins in a row. Ildefonso played a key role in San Miguel’s two victories, scoring 12 in a 103-82 decision and 17 in a 91-87 thriller. Now, Agustin and Reyes are back in opposite corners in the finals. Reyes is gunning for a Grand Slam after Talk ‘N’ Text took the Philippine and Commissioner’s Cups while Agustin is shooting for his first PBA crown in his first PBA season.

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What was evident in last Sunday’s finals opener was Petron’s refusal to roll over and die despite giving up 40 points in the first quarter. Talk ‘N’ Text started out like a house on fire, draining 7-of-10 triples in the first 12 minutes. The Texters erected a 16-point lead and looked ready to break it open in the second period. But Petron stayed within striking distance by tightening up defensively, creating turnovers, executing with precision in the half-court and battling off the boards. Ildefonso’s shot settled the score, 89-88, meaning after the Texters erupted for 40 points in the opening quarter, they were held to only 48 the rest of the way.

Petron import Anthony Grundy led the Blaze’s charge with 17 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists in a rare 47-minute triple double performance. He more than compensated for Arwind Santos’ showing as the Spiderman struggled with only 3-of-13 field goals and 5-of-7 free throws. The encouraging thought for Agustin is Petron won in spite of Santos’ off-night.

Grundy, 32, is a veteran with basketball stops in Germany, Sweden, Israel, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Italy, Greece and Turkey. He knows what winning is all about and his experience will go a long way in the finals. Last Sunday, Grundy was held scoreless by Ryan Reyes in the third period but remained useful by contributing in other ways, facilitating, crashing the boards and playing defense. It was Grundy who drew the defense and got the ball to Ildefonso for the last shot in Game 1. Agustin and Ildefonso concurred that what sets Grundy apart from other imports is his high basketball IQ.

Talk ‘N’ Text import Scottie Reynolds was blanked in the third and fourth quarters last Sunday and finished with only four points in 36 minutes. He was never the same after taking a hard foul from Paolo Hubalde in the first half. Reynolds had shot 60 percent from three-point range the previous two outings but in Game 1, was 1-of-7.

Game 2 will be played in Tubod, Lanao del Norte, tonight and Talk ‘N’ Text is determined to even it up. Petron’s confidence got a major boost with its win in Game 1 and Agustin wants to put the squeeze on the Texters. Talk ‘N’ Text hasn’t beaten Petron in three encounters this conference but is still favored to clinch because in a long series, the team with the deeper bench has a decided advantage. Agustin’s argument is in the finals, heart is what counts, not the bench.