Will The Dream Finally Come True - The Quest For The Grand Slam

It was in December 2011, in the Philippine Cup Quarterfinals of the PBA, my last bad dream happened. B-Meg, my favorite team, that is now called San Mig Coffee Mixers, lost to the eight seed Powerade Tigers in a winner takes all match.

It was a tough loss, I was stunned. I can't even eat my dinner after I saw Gary David put B-Meg on drowning by making all of his dagger three point shots in the crucial moments of the game. I even reached 3 O-clock in the morning just to sleep because it's so hard to take one that night. The night that whenever I close my eyes, I always see Gary David, facing his hot hands, running all over the court with 38 big points.

Photo from Interaksyon.com

The elimination-round finished that B-Meg is at the top of the standings. They entered the quarterfinals with a twice to beat advantage on their side and  faced the young Powerade team led by Gary David, Marcio Lassiter and Jayvee Casio. Magoo Marjon also announced that time that Powerade has 'no chance in hell' in this match-up.

Tim Cone was tested, this is only his first playoffs appearance as a coach of the Purefoods franchise. He recently broke the silence of the cyber world when he decided to break up with his former team- Alaska Aces. After earning 13 championship trophies from about 25 title-shots, Tim Cone decided to call it quits.

The game was decided by a nerve-breaking over time. Powerade won, B-Meg lost. Gary David reached  the super-stardom level that night. And his name, together with that game will be remembered forever.

Denzel Bowles

In the following conference, B-Meg finally entered the Finals. It's only Tim Cone's second conference with the team. The series went to a do or die Game 7 vs the mighty Talk N' Text. The tickets for the game was sold-out before it reached the game day. There were over 21,000 basketball fans inside the venue (minus the mop boys, the mascots, the team members, the media and the Pba crew). Hundreds to thousands are still outside the venue because Big Dome cannot sell tickets anymore for security reasons.

The Game clock was stop at 1.2 and the score is 76-74, Talk N' Text is having a 2-point lead advantage at the moment. Fortunately, Denzel Bowles, the 21-year old 6'10" fresh from NBA D-League was fouled by Kelly Williams. It was that time, that almost 80% of the crowd and the millions watching at home was holding their breathes for the 2 biggest shots of the night.

Denzel sinks the first free-throw, he turned around, and takes some more steps before shooting the second and the most important one. The most important free-throw of his basketball career.

He steps in to the free throw area and face the basketball ring with tears flowing down on his face and there were a jam-packed crowd all around him, wishing for a possible overtime.

Bowles makes the second shot. A loud roar from the crowd covers the whole big dome. At home, I was shouting and punching the pillow beside me brought by my emotions. It was an incredible feeling watching the two biggest shots of the tournament.

B-Meg fans are enjoying every bit of a second after that shot, like they won the 6/55 Grand lotto jackpot on that particular time. A lot of fans are exchanging high-fives with their co-fans (yeah, not a family member, a classmate or a friend neither) that they have talked to for about seconds ago. As if they've became friends automatically after those free-throws.

That night is the sweetest night of all the championship nights for me. After a hard fall from the previous conference. After a long title drought. A gift was arrived, and it arrived so perfectly. It arrived like a gift came in to the chimney by a drop from Santa Claus sleigh. And after that game, everybody treats Denzel Bowles like a Christmas present under a Christmas tree.

"Those are, I mean gargantuan free throws by Denzel Bowles. He made the first, and I don't know any human being who could stand the pressure of having to make the second free-throw."  -Mico Halili

3-PEAT to Grandslam

Are we an underdog? Somehow, you have to agree with me. But in some way, you have to say no we're not, we're strong.

The team always start a conference in a weird position. After winning a championship in the previous conference, they always start the next conference at the bottom part of the standings. Oh well I forgot, they are SANMIG, there should be no problem. They can afford to have a 1-5 Win-Loss record in standings but still able to get championship trophies after getting one.

So if there will be someone who will ask me for the explanation of the quote: "It's not about how you start, but how you finish" I will just simply reply, go search SanMig on Google.

I'm not a Purefoods/B-Meg/SanMig fan before. I was a Talk N' Text Phone-pals devotee from the years of Alapag-Ravena-Pablo-Telan-Taulava first five. I remember watching my first PBA game cheering for Talk N Text vs Sta. Lucia inside the gym of Baste, my College school in Cavite City. I was a fanatic of Vic Pablo's fade away shot before I found James Yap's elegant picture-perfect jump-shot capture more interesting to see.

I used to be entertained by Noy Castillo's three point shots before PJ Simon's version became much cooler to see. I used to be amazed by Ryan Gregorio's reactions after a shot made in a crucial moment of a game. Then I found out that a Tim Cone's "ALL RIGHTS" (OWAYT) in a timeout are the best. Mark Barroca and Justin Melton taught me that a 5'10" solution can be an answer to a 7 footer problem.

For now, I'm just waiting for a not so miracle kind like to happen. I'm just hoping for a dream to come true. I'm just wishing for a GRANDSLAM. The most prestigious title in the PBA that every team wanted. The title that last happened in 1996. The title that so hard to achieved. And the title that Tim Cone embraced before.

We all know that it's not easy to win it. Because it will takes too long before a team gets a chance for a shot to earn it. And SanMig faced a lot of obstacles first before they reached their spot right now.

But I believe to my team. I believe that a Jerwin Gaco's 45 high fives per game can do it. 

I believe that a Joe Devance and a Rafi Reavi's rebound can help the team to do it.

I believe that a Marc Pingris block shot can erase every attempt of the opponent to secure it. 

I believe that a Justin Melton's dunk from an alley-oop pass or a Blakely's tomahawk power-slam can make it.

I believe that a Mark Barroca's tear drop or a PJ Simon's perfect jump shot can shoot it. 

And I believe that a James Yap's turn-around-fade-away shot can win it!

We're almost there. Just one more win. Just one last time.

It's about 37 hours ago since I heard Game four's buzzer sound and we're less than 24 hours away from the next game. And I'm here wishing and hoping that I will see them again. Celebrating. Like what they're doing in the pictures below. Enjoying every seconds of the moment, under the rain of balloons and confettis falling from the roof of the coliseum, standing at the center stage, surrounded with a giant crowd that clapping their hands because they DID IT AGAIN.

San Mig Coffee - 2013 PBA Governor's Cup Champion

San Mig Coffee - 2014 PBA Philippine Cup Champion

San Mig Coffee - 2014 PBA Commissioner's Cup champion