The Meralco Bolts were looking good in halting the dominance of Barangay Ginebra on their Governors’ Cup campaigns. Their 104-91 Game 1 victory on April 6, 2022 was an excellent proof of this. Even the way they came back in Game 2 showed they had a good shot at taking a 2-0 lead and turning the series into a blowout.
Then the weird happened. Raymar Jose, send in for mop up duties in the last minute of game one, reacted violently to a foul he actually initiated. This may mean nothing to the Bolts but it may what the doctor ordered for the Kings moving forward.
Raymar got to be careful of what he wish for! Initiating a foul then looking for a confrontation in a game that is clearly won is just like kicking a defenseless, unarmed opponent who is down. This is one way how “goats” are born.
When Meralco seems to have the number of their finals arch nemesis, who looks lost during the first two meeting in this this conference, it’s bad timing for a Bolt benchwarmer to start picking on the Kings players with heavy minutes in the last minute of Game One where the Bolts starters clearly had their opponents beaten.
The foul
While it is unusual to foul in the dying seconds of a won game nowadays, there is nothing wrong with the Ginebra mop-up crew pressuring their Bolts counterparts. Arvin Tolentino was applying pressure to Jose when the latter dribbles the ball and backs up, creating contact which the referee aptly called a foul.
Uhh, what are you doing?
Lo and behold, Jose got in the face of Tolentino, seemingly asking for a confrontation, which visibly irked the already frustrated Ginebra player. As expected, Tolentino showed he is not backing down either.
What is even surprising is he pursued the confrontation to the locker room despite when his team got a very satisfying win.
A video caught Jose shouting “puro ka angas” [you’re just all talk] to Tolentino in front of the dugout.
Not sure of what he wants to accomplish here but this could backfire big time for the Bolts.
See related story: 2022 Governors’ Cup Finals: Arvin Tolentino should be Game 2’s best player
The Elbows
It didn’t help that Meralco had been flashing their elbows unnecessarily earlier in the game. Chris Newsome swung one to Christian Standhardinger during the opening jump ball. Although the offensive foul was called, Tony Bishop did flashed his elbow to Sidney Onwubere’s face. Raymond Almazan connected one to Standhadinger’s face early in the fourth. Almazan made another elbow contact to Prince Caperal’s face late in the game, forcing Ginebra Coach Tim Cone to confront the referees. Jammer Jamito couldn’t help but sneak another one to Jesper Ayaay with the game already in the bag although it failed to land.
Head-scratching moves
I have no idea what the Bolts are up to with these extra physical plays.
I mean, (1) I would have understood if the last minute confrontation was the other way around. Why would winning bench challenge the losing starters to a confrontation when only one game is in the bag? Isn’t it illogical to thrash-talk when you’re winning? (2) Didn’t Meralco struggle against a physical Magnolia team just a series ago? If Mike Harris had not gone down, Meralco might not even be in the finals. Why would they want to face another physical match when they are thriving against a smooth-playing Ginebra?
The last thing the Bolts want at this point is something to make Ginebra wake up from their slumber and remind them they can repeat domination over the Bolts. It would be head-scratching to meddle with the Bolts’ momentum to finally exorcise the ghost of Justin Brownlee and the Kings that looks really good up to the dying seconds of Game 1.
Bolts asking for a death wish
There hasn’t been a lopsided rivalry in PBA finals history than Ginebra’s domination of Meralco in three episodes.
Look at these previous outcomes from this rivalry: (1) Brownlee hit a dagger shot on top of the key over the outstretch arms of former Meralco import Allen Durham to give the Kings a thrilling six-game series win in 2016; (2) They lost a competitive series in seven games, the last one in front of 54,000 at the Philippine Arena in 2017, and (3) they were taken out by a gentleman’s sweep, 4-1, in 2019.
The Bolts are aching for retribution and they were on track to finally bag a 2022 edition win up to game one.
The Bolts’ import showed nobody from the Gins could stop him. Bishop also put up 30 points in an elimination round win.
The Bolts starters are keeping up with their Ginebra counterparts and their bench is a clear x factor for winning the series.
Ginebra is missing key personnel in Japeth Aguilar and Stanley Pringle.
Meralco struggled with the physical game against Magnolia and they are thriving against a less-physical Ginebra team.
These are circumstances that give the Bolts a huge advantage they can capitalize.
Jose’s lack of focus, his teammates’ wayward elbows, or anything that could fuel a furious Ginebra comeback are definitely not the ways to do it.
I can’t understand why Jose had not back off and why Black did comment harder on the aftermath. He was right, the intensity just went up levels higher for Ginebra in game two and this intensity is not going away until the series is finished.
Being contented with a 1-0 lead, burying the result of game one, and moving on to game two might have served the Bolts better.
Bearing fruit
Unfortunately, Meralco and Black better brace themselves for a much tougher fight because the silly confrontation’s effect has already bore fruit.
Scottie Thompson declared they were ready to engage in the physical game if needed. Nards Pinto was getting to the face of Cliff Hodge. Standhardinger was not to be pushed around no more. L.A. Tenorio run into Hodge for a chance at a loose ball.
Brownlee responded with amazing plays just like he did when Anthony Semerad suddenly tried to goat him physically for a sixth foul in the semis. Look at his game splits to see the differences:
Game 1: 27 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 7-of-20 shooting, -15.
Game 2: 36 points, 13 rebounds, 9 assists, 12-of-18 shooting, +7.
Further, the challenge issued by a guy who is rarely fielded to a guy who is a semi-starter is a wake up call directed at the Ginebra bench, which clearly got the message.
Coach Tim Cone rarely give his reserves playing time in the two games so far but the three deployed in game two answered the call, making most of what was given them. Nards Pinto led the charge at both ends of the floor:
Game 1: Pinto, 14 minutes, -3; Joe Devance, 12 minutes, -7; Aljon Mariano 12 minutes, -7.
Game 2: Pinto, 22 minutes, +9 (second-best for the night), 10 points, 4-of-5 shooting, 2-of-3 from 3-point land, 4 rebounds, 3 assists; Devance, 10 minutes, +12 (team-best); Mariano, 18 minutes, +5.
A sleeping Ginebra bench got really shaken and is now wide awake. Could a repeat of what Jayjay Helterbrand did a few years back happen?
While the Jose-Tolentino scuffle was real, it cannot be ascertained if this is what indeed caused the Kings to play harder in game two. There’s one thing certain though, the series just got tougher for Meralco the rest of the way.
By Armando M. Bolislis
