Liu Chuanxing Liu of Bay Area Dragons protects the ball against Scottie Thompson of Barangay Ginebra in Game 6 of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup. Photo by Ernie Satmiento

Game of death

January 16, 2023 Robert Andaya 584 views

CALL it the “Last Dance.”

Or “Do or Die.” Or “Moment of Truth. Or “Sudden Death.”

Or simply, “Game of Death.”

The blockbuster title showdown between the Barangay Ginebra Kings and Bay Area Dragons in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup finally comes down to one final game today at the 55,000-seater Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan.

The Kings and the Dragons, who remain tied at 3-3 after six games in the gruelling best-of-seven championship series, clash for all the marbles starting at5:45 p.m. today before an expected record crowd.

Both the Kings and the Dragons are both ready to rumble after getting a three-day breather since Wednesday’s tensely-fought, energy-sapping Game 6 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

For the Kings, they have an opportunity to capture their 15th PBA championship will make them the league’s second winningest team, breaking off a three-way tie with sister team Magnolia and the defunct Alaska Milk.

For the Dragons, they could become the first guest team to win a PBA crown since Nicholas Stoodley of the United States, which defeated the legendary Toyota Tamaraws in the 1980 PBA Invitational Conference.

“What’s coming up next on Sunday is going to be incredible,” said the Bay Area coach Brian Goorjian in an interview with sportswriters right afterthe Dragons’ series-tying 87-84 victory over the Kings last Wednesday.

“I’ve never been in a seven-game series and I told them (Dragons) this. Now we’re playing with the bank’s money. And here 50,000 or whatever it is, I hope every seat in that place (Philippine Arena) will be sold out. It’s something nobody forgets, and it’s another special game of basketball, and let the cards fall where they may.”

An interesting sidelight of the title showdown is the expected duel between PBA Best Import awardee Justin Brownlee of Ginebra and Myles Powell of Bay Area.

Ginebra coach Tim Cone said he is confident the Kings can do something about Powell in the deciding Game 7.

“We’ll look at it and rethink,” said Cone, whose squad only learned of the Powell-for-Andrew Nicholson switch while at practice the day before Game 6.

We have time now. We had like 45 minutes to set the game plan for him in our last practice. So hopefully, we’ll have a little more time and think (about) what we’re doing about it. Look at him a little bit (more).”

Powell also has a chance to end Brownlee’s perfect slate in PBA finals — 5-of-5 — and at the same time cap off his own unblemished ride.

With Powell as import, the Dragons are 9-of-9 in the import-flavored tournament.

“We all know the job – to go out and win. We knew what’s at stake and how great Ginebra is. Whatever we lack, they’re going to punch us. So we stuck together and had each other’s back,” said Powell, who played for the Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA,

The 6-foot-1Powell finished with 29 points in 35 minutes, including all of their last seven points, in the closing minute to power the Dragons to victory over the Kings.

The results:

Game 1 –Ginebra 96, Bay Area 81.
Game 2 –Bay Area 99, Ginebra 8
Game 3 –Ginebra 89, Bay Area 82
Game 4–Bay Area 94, Ginebra 86.
Game 5– Ginebra 101, Bay Area 91.
Game 6 — Bay Area 87, Ginebra 84.
(Best-of-seven series tied, 3-3).

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