MANILA, Philippines - With a depleted roster, Petron Blaze was not among those picked by most experts to vie for the PBA Governors Cup crown.
But the team bucked the odds and beat highly favored Talk n’ Text in a gripping finale, ushering in a new chapter in the storied San Miguel Corp. franchise with its 19th PBA crown.
“We knew that the odds were stacked against us. The team (then named San Miguel Beer) lost to the same Texters squad in the Philippine Cup finals early this year and after that we placed last in the Commissioner’s Cup,” said Petron rookie coach Ato Agustin.
“When the team was renamed Petron Blaze, we made a vow to raise our game several notches to be worthy of what Petron is known for, the fuel of champions,” said Agustin.
As with San Miguel Beer, it had to further enhance Petron’s reputation.
Petron is the country’s largest oil refiner, providing an estimated 40 percent of the nation’s fuel requirements. Petron Blaze, being an ultra high-performance unleaded gasoline with an extremely high octane rating, made the team to commit playing the same level of performance, both in defense and offense at an extraordinary level.
But the road to the championship wasn’t easy.
The team had three rookies: Rabeh Al-Hussaini, Nonoy Baclao and Rey Guevara, who all had to fully adjust to the system after coming in through a trade in the middle of the Commissioner’s Cup.
“Although many people criticized the trade, we felt that we made the right decision and it was only a matter of time before it would bear fruit,” said Agustin.
“Actually, it came early because we won the championship,” added Agustin. “But we had to orient these players. Despite this, we were able to get them to play Petron Blaze basketball in the short time that they have been with us.”
The Boosters also had to change imports in the early goings of the conference. Mike Taylor sustained a pulled hamstring even before he could play his first PBA game. The next import, Ricky Harris, proved a dud, but Jeremy Wise pulled the team together.
“At that time, we really felt that Jeremy was the perfect fit for us and he even led us to second place in the elims. But he got injured, so we had to find another replacement,” Agustin said.
With Wise bowing out due to a meniscus tear on his knee, former NC State guard Anthony Grundy came in.
But the team’s woes didn’t end there.
Jay Washington suffered a foot problem that needed surgery and a long rest; Lordy Tugade and Joseph Yeo followed suit with their injuries and Al-Hussaini suffered a knee injury towards the end of the semis.
Still, Petron fought through adversities and found itself in the finals against TnT after edging Alaska and Barangay Ginebra for the other championship berth.
“We had to wait for whatever would happen. It’s tough because our fate was not in our hands so we had to wait. And we didn’t think TnT would choose us to be their opponent. That’s why, many thought that we’re done since most of my players nursed injuries,” Agustin said.
But with veteran Danny Ildefonso flashing vintage form, Petron stole Game One, 89-88, on a last-second jumper before falling back the next two games by big margins (103-85 and 132-105).
“We knew that many felt that the series was over. But we realized that we couldn’t play their game given our limited talent. We could not engage them in a shooting war. We knew that the only way to win was to be more deliberate and to conserve our energy,” said Agustin. He then built a line-up composed of Ildefonso, Grundy, Arwind Santos, Denok Miranda, Alex Cabagnot, Sunday Salvacion, Rey Guevara, Mick Pennisi, Jojo Duncil and Paolo Hubalde.
The strategy worked as the Boosters took the next two games (105-83 and 93-80) by limiting their opponents in the vicinity of 80 points. Many felt that they got the Tropang Texters’ numbers until the latter struck back with a big offensive game anchored on Jason Castro for a series-tying 104-78 win in Game Six to set up the sudden death.
Reduced to 10 men with Duncil thrown out due to a flagrant foul infraction, the Boosters played with a big fighting heart, defended well, and prevented the top TnT gunners from getting into the groove. They also made the crucial baskets that sealed the game’s outcome, 85-73.
With Talk n’ Text aiming for a grand slam after a dominant season, Petron’s victory easily became one of the biggest upsets in PBA history.
“This only shows that even when you’re down, hard work will bring you to where you want to be,” Agustin said. “We thank Mr. (Ramon) Ang, all the Petron and San Miguel employees, and most importantly, the fans, who inspired us in every win and who were there for us for every loss. We hope this humble achievement also serves to inspire them in their daily lives.”