Game Today: (Digos, Davao del Sur)

6:45 p.m. – Powerade vs. Talk ‘N Text

Game on Monday: (Araneta Coliseum)

6:45 p.m. – Talk ‘N Text vs. Powerade


AND so, the Cinderella Dream lives on.

But will this fairy tale story have a happy ending?

“If it’s written in stone then we will have a big chance of winning the title,” said Powerade head coach Bo Perasol.

Powerade, which just a season ago couldn’t even qualify for the playoffs and with progress unexpected to pass by, makes its first Finals’ appearance in nine years aiming to complete an unbelievable rise from mediocrity when it clashes with mighty Talk ‘N Text in Game One of their PBA Philippine Cup finals in Digos, Davao del Sur.

No one gave the Tigers a minute chance of advancing in the deepest stage of the conference, yet shock series wins over twice-to-beat and No. 1 seed B-Meg in the quarter-finals and Rain or Shine in a seven-game semi-finals have propelled the former two-time champion franchise to make a return trip to the championships after nine miserable years.

Yet the mission is far from being over. And now, the Tigers will have to challenge another team equally in high spirits after becoming only the third franchise to come back from a 1-3 deficit.

“We understand what is at stake here and the giant that we are up against,” said Powerade coach Bo Perasol, making his second Finals stint but hopeful that the result would favor him this time. “We will keep fighting. This is not the time that we are going to be satisfied. We have been through tough times.”

The Tigers, ironically, last made a post-elimination round appearance when they upset Talk ‘N Text in the wild card phase of the 2008 Philippine Cup, lifted and steered by no less than Asi Taulava, the former TNT franchise player traded by the Texters to Coca-Cola.

Now, Powerade has a new franchise player in Gary David, the scoring champion who may yet become the Best Player of the Conference for carrying the Tigers to the championships.

But unlike in past seasons, David is now surrounded by gifted talents.

For one, there’s JV Casio, who may have proven that he, indeed, deserves the No. 1 pick over Paul Lee. The former De La Salle standout outplayed the Rain or Shine ace guard in their biggest moment of confrontation the other night with a game-high 25 points, seven rebounds and five assists in Powerade’s 107-98 win.

And then, there’s Marcio Lassiter, a player who can explode on offense anytime. Completing the key unit for the Tigers are Doug Kramer, the second leading rebounder in the league behind Arwind Santos, and Sean Anthony.

But then again, no team just beats Talk ‘N Text, especially in a series.

The team that was denied of a Grand Slam last season now is four wins away from repeating as Philippine Cup champion, a feat that has been left unaccomplished since Great Taste, with legendary players William ‘Bogs’ Adornado and Ricardo Brown, did it in 1985.

The Texters are on a high of their own. They were nearly given up for dead after dropping behind by 3-1 against mortal enemy Petron, but somehow conjured magic to overcome the deficit punctuated by a scintillating 92-91 victory in Game Seven Wednesday night.

Only two teams in the past have managed to overcome a 1-3 deficit. Ginebra did it first in the 1991 First Conference Finals against Shell before Purefoods duplicated it against Alaska in the 2006 semi-finals of the Philippine Cup.

In a way, it might have been sweet revenge for Chot Reyes and Talk ‘N Text against the team that defeated them in the Governors’ Cup last season. To Reyes, though, it certainly is not.

“There was no vengeance at all in my mind,” said Reyes. “I respect Petron as an organization and I respect coach Ato (Agustin). We chose victory over vengeance.”

Reyes will now have to confront the franchise he led to its two championships. He guided Coca-Cola to the 2002 Philippine Cup title and then in the 2003 Fiesta Conference.

“You all know that  franchise (Powerade) has a special place in my heart,” Reyes said. “A lot of people say it’s going to be easy beating Powerade. But look at what they’ve accomplish. They beat the No. 1 team and then beat Rain or Shine. It will take our best effort to beat them.”

Talk ‘N Text will be seeking to nail down its fifth PBA championship, while Powerade will be eyeing to notch its third but its first as an independent franchise outside of the San Miguel Corp. group.

The 48-year-old Reyes, on the other hand, will be eyeing to win his eighth title and fourth with Talk ‘N Text. He previously won two championships with Purefoods and Coca-Cola.

Perasol, meantime, is eyeing his first championship after losing, with Air21, the 2008 Fiesta Conference title to Ginebra in seven games.

Game Two of the best-of-seven series will be held on Monday, Jan. 23.