Philippine basketball is one of a kind.
Remember when we hosted a Gilas Pilipinas match and Jayson Castro took the free throws even if the shots should have been awarded to Calvin Abueva?
Also, remember when the fans counted 3, 2, 1 even if there is still a lot of time in the shot clock?
And what about that thing Mick Pennisi did on Will McDonald?
Pinoy ball is both cruel, anything goes, and funny.
So, I can get what the hell is happening here.
Talk N Text's Mark Yee made sure Petron's Anthony Grundy remembered his awesome defense forever when their teams battled it out in the 2011 PBA Governors' Cup. Mark Yee got his hands in Grundy's poop shoot and not only was this seen by the global Pinoy audience, but it was also one of the highlights of the series. It's not cool for Yee and the rest of the Tropang Texters who were a couple of points away from winning a grand slam in the last season where the league employed tiny imports.
So fast forward to 2022. The stakes are high as the Letran Knights go for a three-peat against the Benilde Blazers. Pao Javillonar is dedicated to stopping sure MVP winner Will Gozum by any means necessary.
The move did little to the aggression of Will Gozum.
Or did it?
Because after the incident, Gozum went insane and show fierce intensity. The problem though is that like most Benilde Blazers in the game, he forgot to pace his movements and this prompted Gozum to miss most of the fourth quarter due to cramps. The Blazers have already lost Migs Oczon to a first-quarter injury and during the last half, the Blazers have seen the likes of Miggy Corteza, Mark Sangco, Robi Nayve, and JC Cullar rest due to cramps and other leg and knee injuries. Now I can't blame Gozum for going never-say-die on the Knights but while Letran also lost Kobe Monje to injuries, Louie Sangalang to cramps (at least for a period in the fourth quarter), and Brent Paraiso to fouls, Letran had something that the Blazers lacked.
Yes, the injuries happened but you can't take away their three-peat. Also, I believe the only way you can defeat Letran is if they lose their swagger. When Letran faces off against San Beda, there is animosity. This is why the ideal NCAA Finals showdown is between the Red Lions and the Knights. San Beda, even in their current run, will never back down against the Knights and vice versa. Unfortunately for Letran, they lost all their games against the Red Lions this season. Unfortunately for Benilde, ever since the Knights won the championship, they haven't defeated them. Benilde worked on a team that gave limited minutes to Fran Yu because Tommy Olivario played well. Meanwhile, if Migs Oczon returns, the Blazers still have to find a way to insert Nayve and Prince Carlos into the game.
Also, they just can't let Gozum battle Mark Louie Sangalang. These two cancel each other out but Sangalang gets the chance to take a rest from Gozum because Bonnie Tan is putting Javillonar when the Knights play defense. Collectively, the Blazers have the better bench but that's only because Letran is a mix of rookies and veterans. King Caralipio is more than enough to fill up the loss of Monje and it's not like Letran doesn't surround a rookie with veterans.
So what I learned and I guess what everyone learned is that regardless of how "crappy" the defensive style is, Filipinos will do everything they can to win. Yes, Mark Yee's TNT lost the series to join the ranks of Toyota, Great Taster, Sunkist, and a lot of June Mar Fajardo-led San Miguel teams to almost grand slams, but Letran could give the "butthole defense" its first televised series win.
Or, this just might enrage Will Gozum and turn a 0-1 deficit into a Game 3 victory to give the Blazers their first championship after the Sunday Salvacion era.