The intoxication from the Quarter-Finals proved too much. Two cups of coffee and aspirin the day after weren’t enough. The crowd last July 21, the start of the PBA’s Final Four, paled in comparison to the 20-thousand-plus that crammed the Big Dome last July 18. In the first days of the Semi-Finals, the atmosphere was subdued. We’ve seen this before. Ginebra brings expectations to a thundering crescendo, only to lose at the buzzer. The disappointment sends the populace into a freefall. The subsequent series starts as a letdown. The dip in intensity, however, is temporary. The Semi-Finals double-header last Sunday not only gave us two down-the-wire games, it also helped cure whatever Ginebra hangover fans had. Bodies flew. Players flopped. Clutch baskets were made. Close games were won. And no one gave an inch.
Deep in the second half of Game 3 between San Miguel and B-Meg Derby Ace, Dondon Hontiveros had the ball. He settled into the triple-threat position. James Yap blocked his path. Hontiveros swung the ball and hit Yap squarely on the cheek with an elbow. Yap, who already had a swollen eye, felt the impact and hit the floor with the same elegance he displays when scoring on a drive. Prrrt! Referees said Yap flopped. B-Meg Derby Ace’s best shooter checked his face for blood. Hontiveros, the sportsman that he is, told Yap he meant no harm. Yap nodded as if to say, “We’re good." When play resumed, James glued himself to Dondon’s jersey all over again. While Hontiveros showed the makings of a national star during his stint with the Cebu Gems in the MBA, Yap was still a high school sensation in Iloilo. Once in a game in Antique, Hontiveros did a cross-over dribble on the left flank and soared for a slam-dunk. It was something straight out of EA Sports’ NBA Live. At around the same time, Yap was playing all 5 positions for his high school team. During an exhibition game in Bacolod, I saw Yap, as his team’s center, rebound the ball on defense and, as his school’s most talented player, effortlessly dribble past smaller guards and forwards all the way for a coast-to-coast slam dunk. Over a decade later, Hontiveros and Yap are both where they belong; in the PBA Semi-Finals, on the court, in each other’s faces, at the top of their game, battling for every point, with high-profile connections to the entertainment biz (Hontiveros is linked to actress and TV host Valerie Concepcion and Yap is…well…alam niyo na yun). Dondon and James comprise just part of the story. In a top-heavy league, the tradeoff for lopsided games in the elimination round is a compelling mix of heavyweights in the playoffs. We’re down to the 4 best teams. We’re down to Dondon vs. James, Freeman vs. Pingris, Tenorio vs. Alapag, Baguio vs. Cardona. We’re beginning to forget Ginebra is gone. And, going into Game 4, we’re starting to feel the heat that the best brings out from the best. --
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