The knives are out and San Miguel Beer knows it can’t rest easy in its PBA Philippine Cup title def
‘Definitely, we’ll work hard to retain the championship but alam namin mahirap ngayon, marami nang teams na lumakas. Hopefully we can defend the crown,’ SMB team governor Robert Non said during the recent presscon for the 50th season.
He mentioned how TNT, runner-up in the Season 49 All-Filipino, has welcomed back its injured players who were missing in the previous tournament for another shot at the crown jewel.
Aside from the usual suspects, Non also noted the threat he expects from ‘darkhorse’ Converge, Rain or Shine and Magnolia, now under former Ginebra player LA Tenorio.
‘Dapat eh magising na sa katotohanan team namin, hindi pwedeng tutulog-tulog na ngayon, ang daming magagaling na,’ he said.
For Meralco, there’s an added motivation to wrest the crown back and get even with the very team that spoiled its title-repeat campaign last season.
‘Sila Robert (San Miguel) ang defending champion (now), kami yung dinethrone nila last season so we hope we can return the favor this year,’ said Bolts governor Atty. William Pamintuan, referring to the squad’s 97-108 loss to twice-to-beat SMB in the quarterfinals of the previous Philippine Cup that ended their reign.
Like Non, Pamintuan sees a tough road to Philippine Cup glory.
‘I think for 50th season, we’ll have a more competitive league, lahat ng teams dito lalaban talaga,’ he said.
‘If you follow the (pre-season) tuneup games, maraming surprises na pinakita si Blackwater and Terrafirma…Its’ going to be a very exciting season for PBA. Lalaban lahat ng teams, hindi lang Meralco.’
ROS, for its part, is fueled by the intense desire to break the ‘semifinal curse’ in the golden season.
‘After four successive semifinal appearances, including three last season, we’re more determined to play hard so that we may be able to play in the finals, maybe swertehin at mag-champion kami, iyun ang pangarap namin,’said Elasto Painters’ governor Atty. Mert Mondragon, whose team signed up free agent veteran Stanley Pringle and reactivated Beau Belga, now fully recovered from vertigo, for this campaign.