When (Gary) David took down (the B-MEG) Goliath

“Powerade has no chance in hell against B-MEG.” Yeah, I said that line in one of our FTW episodes just before the PBA Playoffs started. Why did I say it? Why wouldn’t I say it? The Llamados were riding an 8-game win streak heading into the quarterfinals and were sitting on a twice-to-beat advantage. They also clobbered the Tigers back on the 26th of October, 97-80, in a game where Gary David was held to 7 points on 3/13 shooting.B-MEG was number 1, Powerade just barely made their first quarterfinals in years. (B-MEG hasn’t even lost at the Araneta Coliseum all season long if you want to stretch it). It was the logical thing to say. I also did precede that line by saying, “unless the Tigers play ‘lights out’ basketball,” and boy did they shoot the lights out of the Big Dome this past week. On Wednesday, Powerade knocked in 12 three-pointers on the way to 46% overall FGs. Gary David made 13 of 21 shots to lead the way with 32 points with rookie Marcio Lassiter backing him up with 24 in a 97-88 victory to force a rubber match come Sunday. Now with the pressure on the top seeded Llamados to do what they were supposed to (10-4, number 1 against a 6-8 number 8 team = advance), the Tigers just kept fighting tooth and nail. David was in foul trouble early on and had a hard time getting his rhythm going. They trailed by as much as 17… ... into the 4th quarter still down by double-digits and with David, Casio, Anthony and Adducul in foul trouble,‘El Granada’ (as Gary has been fondly called) knew it was his time to explode. A three point basket from the left, from the right, from top of the key, from just about anywhere. The Llamados defense weren’t napping, he just kept finding ways. Gary looks down at his hands, even Mr. Pure Energy couldn’t believe it, it was simply amazing! By the end of the night, Gary David had the biggest smile on his face. It didn’t matter if he could barely walk. (He had to sit out the last few moments of the overtime period as he was already cramping up.) He just wanted to look everybody in the eye, maybe to make sure that what just happened, really happened. David had 37 points on 12 of 21 shooting including 8 from deep. The Tigers as a team tallied 22 3FGs for the clincher (tying a season best recorded by RoS in a win over Meralco), B-MEG hit just 7/39 for the series, and that was all she wrote. We had just witnessed a legend made. A Superstar, together with his Tigers had just left everything they had on the battleground that is the Big Dome floor. It’s going to be one of those games that will be talked about for generations to come. Just like when another David (Bal) sleighed the AsiTaulava-led top seed in the 90’s, it’s like the Warriors taking Dallas out in 2007. It’s the little guy, the underdog digging deep within themselves to come out victorious, to take out the powerhouse! How did Powerade make it to the semifinals for the first time since 2004? ALL-HEART. Do I regret saying what I did? Not really… there was no way in hell I would’ve predicted this. THERE’S NO WAY IN HELL anybody would’ve predicted this. This truly was an upset for the ages. And that is the beauty of sports. It’s real-life drama. Nobody could’ve written what just went down this past week. It’s just all out there for all of us to enjoy. The Powerade Tigers take on the winner of the BGK-RoS series on January 4, 2012 at the Cuneta Astrodome to open that best-of-7 semifinal series.- OMG, GMA News