It seemed like a foregone conclusion that Petron, whose roster was thinned by injuries and ranged against a powerhouse team, would lose to Talk ‘N Text in the Finals of the 36th PBA Governors Cup.
But to the surprise of many, the Boosters have turned the current championship showdown into a show of the underdogs.
The Boosters look to complete one of the greatest upsets in league history as they try to finish off the fancied Tropang Texters today in Game 6 of the race-to-four series at the Araneta Coliseum.
The Boosters moved just a game away from copping their unprecedented 19th championship title after they surged ahead in the series, 3-2, via 93-80 win on Wednesday’s Game 5.
Petron started the series with a one-point win in Game 1 before they got blown out in Games 2 and 3. The Boosters rebounded strong in Game 4 with series-tying 105-84 then came up with another performance on Wednesday to put Talk ‘N Text’s grand slam bid in serious jeopardy.
And they did this minus key players Rabbeh Al Hussaini, Joseph Yeo, Lordy Tugade and Jay Wassington.
Now, Texters coach Chot Reyes considers his team the underdogs with the absence of Jayson Castro, who is expected to miss the rest of the series due to a MCL tear.
“Game 3 pa iyun (injury), but he still played Game 4. That is the effect of having been the recipient of so many falls and fouls on his knee,” said Reyes.
Hoping to revive their title hopes, Reyes decided to replace Scottie Reynolds and re-activate original import Maurice Baker. “We have no idea if he’ll be ready with one day’s practice,” Reyes said of Baker, who has stuck around even after being replaced early in the elimination round.