NO LAUGHING MATTER
The numbers Rodney Brondial produced last Friday made a lot more sense than the words that came out of the big man also known for his comedic touch.
“Until it isn’t over, we’ll keep trying to get it,” Brondial said, talking about Sunday’s Game 6 of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals.
“Sayang yung pambili ng kalabaw (we don’t want to waste the chance to buy a carabao),” he added in jest.
The potential 7:30 p.m. clincher is set at Mall of Asia Arena as Brondial and San Miguel Beer look to ride the mometum of on a terrific 96-82 victory two nights ago in Antipolo City and finish off TNT, which wasted a 14-2 start and a 16-point lead in the first quarter of Game 5.
San Miguel won Game 5 behind its role players, and Brondial led the way with 15 points and 17 rebounds before eventually being subbed off because of a swollen ankle.
Kris Rosales, Mo Tautuaa and Marcio Lassiter were also huge for the Beermen as they took the spotlight from usual headliners June Mar Fajardo, CJ Perez and Jericho Cruz.
“I mean we all have a job to do and what you saw [on the court] was just us stepping in and doing our job,” Tautuaa told The Inquirer.
It was a show of how vaunted San Miguel’s lineup is, and a second straight All-Filipino title and eighth out of the last 11 editions appears within reach.
But TNT can’t be counted out.
The Tropang 5G may lament on how bad its second half was, how its splendid offensive firepower at the start flamed out, and how it eventually lost its cool.
But TNT has shown that it can bounce back, and Game 4’s 110-87 rout also at MOA was a clear indication of the Tropang 5G’s resilience.
“Their backs are against the wall and I expect a different ballgame from them,” said coach Leo Austria. “It’s up to us to realize what the situation is. Everyone wants to finish this off, but there’s no assurance of it happening.
“We have to keep working hard and we keep realizing the situation because this is a game of adjustments,” he added.
For Brondial, he’s bracing for another rugged encounter, perhaps more intense than ever, with both teams going for bigger goals in Game 6. The Beermen want that title, while the Tropang 5G want to force an all-or-nothing Game 7.
And the man who has embraced the nickname “Seaman” for his comic persona on social media is embracing what’s coming.
“Of course TNT is not going to roll over and just hand us the championship,” he said. “That’s normal. But we welcome that, we welcome the physicality.”
And by late Sunday night, Brondial hopes to, well, be able to buy that carabao.
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