A Show of Aggression
Burger King 115 vs. Smart Gilas 105
words and pics by rick olivares
“I only ask you to do two things...” Rajko Toroman paced the floor with his hand in his pants pockets. “That you play with a lot of enthusiasm and with aggressiveness.”
He repeated that once more towards the end of his short pre-game talk. No doubt it was to underscore how that kind of play would carry the Smart Gilas Pilipinas National Team to its first win as a guest team in the Philippine Cup; the first conference of the new Philippine Basketball Association season.
But the team that came out with extra doses of enthusiasm and a whole lot of aggression were the Burger King Whoppers. And that is hardly a surprise when the head coach of the team is none other than Joseller “Yeng” Guaio, the tough as nails coach who likes his teams playing as if every game were a test of manhood.
As was the battle between the two national teams – Gilas and Powerade – the shaded lane was declared a no-fly zone. Any lane incursion and you had to pay for it.
If there is a theory about one chink in Gilas’ armor, it is they’re wilting from highly physical and aggressive play. In the national team’s previous scrimmage with Talk ‘N Text, Gilas was up by 10 points early in the third quarter when practically the whole Tropang Texters team mauled American CJ Giles. Play was stopped after that.
In the battle between Gilas and Powerade for the charity match for Typhoon Ondoy victims, the early physical play by Wynne Arboleda and Asi Taulava bothered the nationals until they decided to step on the accelerator.
So the game between Gilas and Burger King had so many sub-plots to it.
After the Powerade mauling, the Whoppers had to defend the honor not just of the PBA but also of their coach.
Japeth Aguilar played one game with Burger King – in the team’s first loss of the conference to Purefoods – and after that he switched sides in a deal that involved Red Bull Barako and Talk ‘N Text where he was loaned out to Gilas.
In Aguilar’s only game with BK, he noted the uneasy silence in the locker room with his presence. Arboleda is one of his few friends on the team so he kept close to him. Guiao only spoke to him during the huddle. But after the match, the 6’10” slotman went up to the coach to thank him.
The game also had some quiet match-ups. New addition to the national team, Rabeh Al-Hussaini – who had just one practice with the squad – was up against his brother Carlo Sharma and the two did go up against one another in one play.
And there were the Buenafes – Ronjay for BK and Ryan for Gilas. When the younger Buenafe – the two are cousins – had the time, he would watch Ronjay play for the Coca Cola Tigers. And now he had a front row seat to the older one’s high wire act.
But first, BK had to endure Gilas’ run and gun game as Jayvee Casio put on an impeccable shooting display while Giles double and triple teamed inside had to twist and contort himself to difficult lay-ups. Mac Baracael in the meantime kept attacking.
Then the physical play got a whole more flagrant.
With he nationals up 22-21, Arboleda elbowed Casio in the neck while fighting through a screen.
A minute later, Whopper sparkplug Gary David denied Mark Barroca a lay-up but was called for a foul as he hacked the former FEU Tamaraw on the arm.
Early in the second quarter, BK forward Ronnie Matias was assessed a flagrant foul when Baracael went up for a lay-up.
Baracael, one of the four Tamaraws on the squad, was bowled over hardly a minute later when he went for another lay-up and this time, Arboleda ducked under him.
In a 9-minute and 26-second stretch, the pro club was assessed four flagrant one fouls. To cap their play, Arboleda attacked a fan sitting courtside who was heckling the Whopper guard after the undercutting of Baracael.
Arboleda was tossed from the match but not before he had to be restrained after going after the fan a second time as they exited the court.
Gilas went ahead when they retained ball possession as Casio hit a trey to hike his side’s lead up to 50-37 but that was their last gasp.
Behind the inside-outside game of Beau Belga, David, and Buenafe, the Whoppers turned the game around and saw them down by a solitary point 55-54 at the half.
When both teams returned to the court for the final half, it was all about basketball. As much as Gilas stayed close and were tied with BK at 82-all following an Aguilar triple, it was obvious that Guaio’s boys were in control of the match. It was a chastened national team that was chasing the pros.
With Giles in foul trouble and the nationals big men unable to get going, the Whoppers controlled the boards and second servings as they outrebounded Gilas 46-34.
Guiao sensed a victory and seized upon the opportunity to land some barbed instructions to his team, “Wala nang import yan. Wag na kayo mag-zona.”
Giles fouled out with 6:31 to play but the nationals had a chance to bring down the lead when Dylan Ababou missed a point blank stab. David made Gilas pay by hitting two free throws and dropping a huge trey that took the fight out of their foes.
After 48 minutes of rough and tumble action, Burger King had restored the PBA’s pride and vindicated their coach’s honor with a masterful 115-105 conquest.
Inside Gilas’ dugout, it was a chastened team that listened to Toroman who was on the money with his call for enthusiastic and aggressive play. The team had been waiting for the highlight reel shots that never came. Although they fought, they had backed down from the physical play of Burger King.
“Powerade is long gone,” said SBP Executive Director Noli Eala after Toroman broke down his squad’s inadequacies. “This is a real team. And it’s going to be like this from every point. Everyone took notice after that Powerade game so forget about it. They will come at us and give nothing on a silver platter.”
Prior to the match, Eala wrote on the white board, “We do not belong here. This is what they say about us. How do we respond?”
“This game will be a total loss if we do not learn from it,” summed up the former PBA Commissioner.
With disappointment all over the nationals’ faces, they nodded in agreement.
How they respond to the loss we’ll see when they face Talk ‘N Text at the Cuneta Astrodome.
Burger King 115 – Buenafe 25, David 24, Belga 17, Lanete 14, Yee Mark 11, Quinahan 9, Yee, Richard 7, Aban 5, Sharma 2, Matias 1, Bilones 0, Arboleda 0
Smart Gilas 105 – Casio 28, Tiu 21, Aguilar 18, Baracael 14, Giles 12, Ballesteros 4, Barroca 4, Al-Hussaini 2, Ababou 2, Cawaling 0, Ramos 0
Notes: Rabeh Al-Hussaini and Ryan Buenafe just had one practice with Smart Gilas and have not yet integrated into the system. Paul Lee as of yesterday said no to playing for the national team as he will concentrate on playing for UE in the Champions League and for Cobra Energy Drinks in the PBL. That's the official version. There's the unofficial one. Magi Sison missed the game because of classes at UP. Wynne Arboleda... I understand why he attacked the fan, but you also can't fault the fan because the fouls that he and his teammates were giving weren't just hard but really hurtful. Remember Arboleda's assault followed his undercutting Baracael on the fastbreak. But to ban him for life... hindi naman siguro. But it's been crazy. Marlou Aquino, Danny Ildefonso, some college fans from two different schools haranguing Joe Lipa. Man... Al-Hussaini went up against his brother Carlo Sharma in the first offensive set of Gilas in the second quarter. Rabeh faked off Carlo but missed his shot. The two scored 2 points apiece but not against each other. Thanks for the cool greet yesterday, Carlo! What a game by Jayvee Casio and Chris Tiu for Gilas and Beau Belga and Ronjay Buenafe for BK. Nasty crossover by Ronjay! Whoa!
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