Chris Pacana

Finally, after a long time of waiting, I've seen Chris Pacana once more on the playing court. Too bad that Barangay Ginebra Kings (BGK) need to lead for about 40 points before he was sent on the hard court. Chico Lanete and Cyrus Baguio had been given all the playing minutes, while Paul Artadi had been given too li'l, and Pacana had not been given at all. *sigh*

Anyways, I'm still glad to see Pacana playing once more. I hope, in the semis, he would be sent on the hard court for his intelligent defensive stop. And not just because the game is already a sure win. *hopeful*

Well, he showed how efficient he can be. For 6 minutes of playing time, he contributed as much as 4 rebounds and 3 assists (one of which is a no look pass to Homer Se - the new crowd favorite). It was only few who could do such great assists.

Hoping to see more of you Chris in the Semis!

My cousin had been encouraging me to watch PBA live at the Araneta Coliseum yesterday. He said that it would be a championship-like battle between Barangay Ginebra Kings (BGK) and Air21 Express since they were the teams that fought for the crown last Fiesta Conference. But due to personal reasons, I was not able to join them. I just watched the game on TV, CS9, with poor reception and boring commentators (one of 'em called Gary David as Bal David twice), haha.

It was really a championship-like ballgame. BGK, like last fiestacon, had a depleted line-up. Mark Caguioa, Eric Menk, Rafi Reavis, and Billy Mamaril are missing in action. Air21, on the other hand, had a complete line-up. Arwind Santos and Homer Se are now back after being suspended due to their game against Rain or Shine Elasto (ROSE) Painters last October 5.

As usual, BGK had a poor start. But, JayJay Helterbrand's three 3-pointer in the 1st quarter keeps the Big Dome rocking. It was a close fight. A lot of lead changes. But the game was fun. It was raining 3 point shots for the BGK. JunJun Cabatu has 4/7, Helterbrand 5/11, Junthy Valenzuela 1/2, Ronald Tubid 3/7, and Paul Artadi 1/4. Summing it up, they scored 42 points just from their 3 point shots.

The game was a revelation for Cabatu. I thought it was just mere luck when he hit a 3 point shot last game against Sta. Lucia Realtors (SLR). But his 4 three-pointers last night means he is hot from the arc. He was hailed as the Best Player of the Game (BPG) with a career-high of 23 points, with 6 rebounds and 5 assits.

Ooopss.. Of course I won't forget my favorite player, Chris Pacana. Though he only scored 4 points, he contributed a lot for the team. I remember my sister had been laughing on me when I began cheering for him the moment he checked in. His assist to Artadi on their fastbreak play during the 1st quarter was described by Quinito Henson as 'picture perfect pass'. And that was a selfless assist for me. And how about his interception of the long pass? His desire to win the lose ball by diving on it? But oh, I can see his frustration when he was called for a traveling violation on the 3rd quarter. *sigh* He was as well kinda annoyed when he was called for a foul in the ending minutes of the pay off period. My cousin told me that it was because of Wynne Arboleda's dirty moves *grrr* He has that never say die attitude, fit for the BGK team. (Will be uploading the videos of the game later)

It feels like an extension of the 2007-2008 Smart PBA Fiesta Conference Championship. And BGK fought again with pure HEART. I wonder how strong BGK line-up would be if Mark Caguioa is back in shape. Smells like back-to-back championship huh? I wish.

Scores:

Ginebra 101 - Cabatu 23, Helterbrand 21, Valenzuela 14, Tubid 13, Artadi 11, Wilson 6, Crisano 6, Pacana 4, Holper 2, Escalona 1, Salvacion 0.

Air21 92 - Santos 19, De Ocampo 15, Arboleda 12, David 11, Se 10, Quinahan 8, Billones 7, Intal 4, Cruz 3, Canaleta 3, Kramer 0.

Quarterscores: 22-20, 41-46, 76-77, 101-92

Mark Caguioa had once promised, "We'll go to the championship". And
now, here we are at his promised series.

It was Game 1 of the Fiesta Conference Championship, Air21 Express vs the Philippines, I mean, vs the Barangay Ginebra Kings (BGK). It was Air21's first finals appearance. It was BGK's moment to extend their win streak to 13, JayJay Helterbrand's (the leagues' best point guard, 4th in MVP race) jersey number.

1st Quarter start was owned by Air21, they had 10-0 run against BGK. Arboleda and David had their 3 points each. Forcing Coach Jong Uichico to call a time out. Hmm.. Probably Air21 is really hungry for a championship, maybe BGK had been overconfident. After the time out, BGK renewed their energy and focus. Back to back points from Mamaril and a drive from Valenzuela. Enough to rattle Air21, making David called for an offensive foul against Artadi, make it two. Caguioa and Helterbrand is not at their best that Quarter. But, BGK is playing as a team. Valenzuela carried BGK on his shoulders, enough to close the game to 17-12 in favor of Air21. Not to forget Alexander 'The Greater'. He made the points, the rebounds, the dunks, and the blocks. The player that gives that boost of energy is Artadi. He is now confident making 3 point shots, and he made 1 this Quarter. He made a fastbreak layup from his own steal. Unluckily, he got injured, and he wasn't able to come back to the game. End of 1st Quarter, 25-19 in favor of BGK. It's as if Air21 is lacking enough energy to sustain their game.

2nd Quarter, Caguioa showed why he is leading the Best Player of the Conference (BPC) race. And the seem to be missing JayJay from the 3 point arc made himself visible in his drive through the basket. He definitely is 'The Fast v.2.0'. Arboleda just can't guard him. Every player contributed for BGK: Reavis, Pacana, and Salvacion. Would like to highlight Chris Pacana, he had 4 points on the 2nd Quarter. 2 points coming from Helterbrand's assist and 2 points coming from a tip in of Alexander's miss. He got his 6th point in the 3rd Quarter by making a fearless drive in the paint. The next big thing in PBA's point guards. :)

3rd Quarter, JayJay finally clutched in a 3 pointer, but, it was his last 3 pointer for the game. Although he seemed not to get baskets from his perimiter shots, he earned points from his layups by leaving his guard way behind. Many says it was Thomas who would grab the Best Import. Well, think again, if I'm not mistaken, it was 3 or 4 times that Alexander had blocked Thomas. Caguioa's one-on-one move against Santos reminds me of my blog entry, No One Can Stop Ginebra When There's Helterbrand And Caguioa. No one, not even Santos. He even boasted when he was fould by David, "utak lang 'yan" (in sign language).

4th Quarter, Air21 made their run. An attempt to win the game from behind. David and Santos launching and making their 3 point shots, Se, Billones, and De Ocampo earning points, making it 92-84, with less than 5 minutes remaining. They even have it as close as 96-90, with only last 2 minutes in the pay off period. But Alexander won't let things happen for Air21. He's an all around player, the 'Best Import'. It was fun ending the game 105-96, BGK extending their win streak to 13. Best Player of the Game is Caguioa with 22pts (7 in the 4th Q), 7 rebounds, and 4 assists.

But, what's nice about BGK is their deep bench players, and they really played as a team. When someone can't make the basket, someone would step up to keep the BGK alive. Tubid, injured in the last game of the eliminations, is a big lost to BGK's defense. But Pacana stepped up to fill Tubid's loss, and a lot more. When BGK's star players are having their 'off night', Artadi and Valenzuela willingly stepped up to win the game. The energy they induced enabled the 'off night' to turn into 'on night'. It was just "Barangay Ginebra Kings At Its Best, 13 Win Streak!".

by Waylon Galvez

Both coaches – Jong Uichico of Barangay Ginebra and Bo Perasol of Air21 – consider Game 1 of the Smart-PBA Fiesta Cup Finals as crucial, a gauge on how the best-of-seven series would develop.

The Kings and the Express, of course, are eyeing a strong start and action, as predicted, will be fast-paced with the two contending teams relying on their run-and-gun attack.

How they would start depend on their respective starting units.

During the elimination phase, Ginebra and Air21 experimented with their starting fives, and during the course of their campaigns until the semifinal round both teams found the right formula.

A strong start–more or less–translates to a win and draw first blood in this championship showdown that is why having a solid "starters" is very important for Uichico and Perasol.

Here is a close look on the possible starting units of both teams and who will come off the bench:

Point Guard

Chris Pacana (Ginebra)

Elimination: 10.1 mins, 1.3 pts, 2.1 rbs, 0.9 assts, 0.5 stls, 0.0 blks

Semifinals: 16.3 mins, 3.8 pts, 2.8 rbs, 1.5 assts, 0.0 stls, 0.0 blks

Wynne Arboleda (Air21)

Elimination: 32.8 mins, 10.6 pts, 4.1 rbs, 4.3 assts, 1.6 stls, 0.2 blks

Semifinals: 35.8 mins, 9.3 pts, 3.8 rbs, 5.7 assts, 1.7 stls, 0.0 blks

This match up, man-for-man, is actually a no-contest. Arboleda is in his eighth year in the league while Pacana is only a sophomore. But putting Pacana as starter helped Uichico with his backcourt rotation. Paul Artadi comes off the bench to give the Kings the spark. The third man on this rotation is rookie Macky Escalona. Helterbrand can actually play point during crucial times when he plays alongside Mark Caguioa and Valenzuela. Arboleda, of course, has been Perasol’s top playmaker with the likes of rookie Marvin Cruz and veteran Egay Billones playing back-up roles. This position has been the strength of Ginebra in its 12-game winning streak.

Advantage: Ginebra

Shooting Guard

Jayjay Helterbrand (Ginebra)

Elimination: 37.2 mins, 19.0 pts, 4.1 rbs, 6.1 assts, 1.0 stls, 0.0 blks

Semifinals: 33.0 mins, 18.3 pts, 3.8 rbs, 8.0 assts, 0.3 stls, 0.0 blks

Gary David (Air21)

Elimination: 24.8 mins, 14.1 pts, 1.9 rbs, 1.3 assts, 0.4 stls, 0.0 blks

Semifinals: 34.2 mins, 20.7 pts, 3.3 rbs, 1.8 assts, 0.5 stls, 0.0 blks

It’s a battle between a multi-faceted guard in Helterbrand against one of the rising sharpshooters in the league in David. Helterbrand, of course, has the experience playing in big stage like this, but David has shown during the course of Air21’s campaign this conference that he has the ability to compete against the best. Helterbrand share minutes with Caguioa, or jump to the point guard spot and allow his buddy to stay in the game and terrorize the offense with his scoring ability. Valenzuela is another player who can play the position. As for the Express, they enjoy the height advantage in this spot with players like Arwind Santos, an MVP contender, Nino Canaleta and rookie JC Intal providing support to counter the Kings’ quickness.

Advantage: Even

Small Forward

Junthy Valenzuela (Ginebra)

Elimination: 29.7 mins, 8.7 pts, 3.4 rbs, 3.1 assts, 0.7 stls, 0.3 blks

Semifinals: 28.0 mins, 9.3 pts, 6.0 rbs, 1.0 assts, 1.8 stls, 0.3 blks

Ranidel de Ocampo (Air21)

Elimination: 32.9 mins, 10.8 pts, 5.4 rbs, 2.8 assts, 0.4 stls, 0.2 blks

Semifinals: 34.2 mins, 13.2 pts, 7.8 rbs, 1.7 assts, 0.5 stls, 0.5 blks

It’s actually a mismatch between the 6-foot-2 Valenzuela against the 6-foot-6 De Ocampo. But an eighth-year veteran like Valenzuela knows how to work his way around the perimeter even during his days with Red Bull. Traded to the Kings early in the conference, his addition gave Uichico’s wingman rotation versatility with Sunday Salvacion. Ronald Tubid could have been another contributor but he’s still recovering from an ankle injury. Again for the Express, from big, they can play small with this position but still keep pace with the Kings by tapping off the bench Santos, Canaleta, Intal and Gaby Espinas.

Advantage: Air21

Power Forward

Billy Mamaril (Ginebra)

Elimination: 21.8 mins, 4.6 pts, 4.0 rbs, 0.6 assts, 0.3 stls, 0.7 blks

Semifinals: 11.3 mins, 2.3 pts, 2.5 rbs, 0.8 assts, 0.5 stls, 0.3 blks

Homer Se (Air21)

Elimination: 21.8 mins, 8.1 pts, 6.8 rbs, 1.1 assts, 0.6 stls, 0.6 blks

Semifinals: 27.3 mins, 13.8 pts, 6.8 rbs, 1.3 assts, 0.3 stls, 0.5 blks

Se has proved his detractors this conference about his basketball skills. Although there were times he was labeled as a troublemaker, Perasol has been successful in developing the one-time San Sebastian stalwart as one of his team’s assets. However, Se, and those who will come off the bench like Earvin Sotto and Espinas, will have to deal with players who have championship experience like Billy Mamaril, one-time MVP Eric Menk, Rafi Reavis and Alex Crisano.

Advantage: Ginebra

Center

Chris Alexander (Ginebra)

Elimination: 42.3 mins, 20.5 pts, 22.5 rbs, 2.2 assts, 0.5 stls, 3.0 blks

Semifinals: 40.5 mins, 15.5 pts, 17.5 rbs, 2.3 assts, 0.3 stls, 4.0 blks

Steven Thomas (Air21)

Elimination: 41.6 mins, 23.4 pts, 16.6 rbs, 3.9 assts, 0.8 stls, 1.6 blks

Semifinals: 40.8 mins, 13.0 pts, 15.0 rbs, 3.2 assts, 1.6 stls, 2.0 blks

Since Alexander’s arrival, Ginebra has improved to 16-3 highlighted by a franchise-best 12-game winning streak. He has 20-20 outputs during the elimination round with 20.5 points and a league-best 22.5 rebound. Alexander also owns the league-best 3.0 shot blocks per game average. Although his numbers dipped a bit in the semifinals, he was able to contain fellow 7-footer Aam Parada of Red Bull. Now Alexander will face a smaller but hardworking Air21 import in 6-foot-8 Steven Thomas. It’s going to be a test for both players, particularly for Thomas as he is expected to limit the production of Alexander. The fact that both imports have been successful is leading their respective teams to the Finals that it’s going to be an exciting battle between two reinforcements contending for the Best Import award.

Advantage: Ginebra

Source: http://www.mb.com.ph/SPRT20080806131747.html