LET the hunger games begin.
Barangay Ginebra and Meralco, two very hungry teams, start their much-anticipated championship showdown in the 2016 Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup.
Both the Gin Kings and the Bolts want to draw first blood in Game 1 of their best-of-seven titular series which starts today at 7 p.m. at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
It’s been eight years since Ginebra last won a championship and three years since it last appeared in the finals’ stage. Hence, the drive to finally end its title drought is emphatically strong.
Meralco, a first-timer in the finals, is a team looking to finally break through and get over the hump after disappointing campaigns in its first six years in the league.
Both teams now have golden opportunities to quench their championship thirst, but only one of them will eventually do.
Both coaches are chasing even more greatness as Cone, the winningest in league history, aims for his 19th crown, while Black is going for his 11th.
The two protagonists took similar paths to get to this stage, each completing a monumental upset against their higher-seeded foes in the best-of-five semifinals.
The third-ranked Gin Kings dethroned favored second-ranked San Miguel Beer, 3-2, while the fourth-seeded Bolts stunned topseeded Talk ‘N Text, 3-1, in impressive fashion.
The import match-up between Allen Durham of Meralco and Justin Brownlee of Ginebra, both contenders for the Best Import plum, is an interesting one considering they are two of the most consistent and dominant reinforcements this conference.
Ginebra’s scattered firepower composed of the core of LA Tenorio, Japeth Aguilar, Sol Mercado, Mark Caguioa and rookies Scottie Thompson and Aljon Mariano, who have both proven their worth, among others, will go up against the intriguing Meralco bunch of Jimmy Alapag, Reynel Hugnatan, Cliff Hodge, Jared Dillinger and Rookie of the Year frontrunner Chris Newsome.
With both teams thriving in sharing the wealth, a lot of surprises are expected.
