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James Yap’s back injury will be sharing the spotlight when Purefoods and Alaska begin their titular series for the 2009-10 KFC PBA Philippine Cup Wednesday.
The injury has acted up since Game 3 of their semifinal match-up with San Miguel and has kept bothering the Giants’ lead scorer from time to time.
Ryan Gregorio, who will attempt to become the first Purefoods coach to win two All-Filipino championships, said James Yap’s state of health is under close watch but has not distracted their focus.
“I am not concerned about our injuries at this point because our will is greater than anything,” Gregorio emphasized.
Game 1 of the best-of-seven series fires off at 7:30 p.m. at the Araneta Coliseum.
Barangay Ginebra, swept by Alaska in four games, and San Miguel, which squandered a 2-1 lead and lost to Purefoods in six games, contest the third place trophy at 5 p.m.
No team has played as many games as the Giants, who went through 29 games since the elimination round, raising questions whether they have the legs to ensure another seven-game series against a practically well-rested Aces.
“We were able to hurdle the 2nd best team [SMB] in the league, now the challenge is to topple the best team which is Alaska. They [Aces] have not relinquished the top spot from Day 1, that is an added motivation for us,” Gregorio said.
The series marks the seventh time these teams are facing each other for the championship and the third time in the All-Filipino Finals.
Among the league’s active coaches, no one has won as many championships as Alaska’s Tim Cone. He is responsible for all of the Uytengsu franchise’s 12 championships, including three All-Filipino crowns.
But he and the Aces have not a won this conference over the past 10 years since clinching their third AFC in 2000, coincidence, at the expense of Purefoods.
Alaska also made the Finals of the Philippine Cup last season but lost to Talk N Text in seven games.
“We fell short of our goal last year but we vowed to go all the way this time,” Cone proclaimed.
The American mentor said Game 1 is like a boxing match with both teams feeling each other out.
Both Gregorio and Cone believe defense will be vital in the series. Purefoods is giving up 85 points a game while Alaska is limiting opponents to 89 ppg.
“We’ve always believed in our defense and we feel we can step up our defense. Hopefully we can match them [Giants] stop-for-stop,” Cone said.
Gregorio said defense is the one reason why the Giants are in the Finals. “If we could prevent them from scoring easy baskets, we have a good chance of winning,” he said.
Cone, however, cautioned that Alaska’s trademark triangle is a tough offense to defend.
During their semifinal showdown with SMB, the Giants visibly struggled offensively. They shot just 44 percent from the field and had a woeful 24 clip from beyond the arc.
And with James Yap hurting, Gregorio is counting on Roger Yap, Kerby Raymundo, Nino Canaleta, Paul Artadi and Rafi Reavis to take over the offense.
But Cone also has his share of worries.
“It’s really about their [Giants] length. They’re not only long and tall, but they’re quick. They go to the boards very well. They’re able to cover for each other on defense. So we have to execute well and make sure we get good looks,” Cone said. (DBC)
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