MANY insist closing out a series is one of the toughest tasks in professional sports.
Coach Leo Austria says it tougher when you endeavor for it against a team with its never-say-die mantra.
And so coming up is a big Sunday game with the Beermen going for a series clincher against the Barangay Ginebra that is surely to come out playing with its NSD spirit with its hope to live to fight another game.
Tip-off is at 5 p.m. at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, kicking off a blockbuster pair of Game 6s with grand slam-seeking TNT Tropang 5G taking a second shot at a clincher in the other PBA Philippine Cup Final Four series.
June Mar Fajardo, CJ Perez and Jericho Cruz put together solid outings as the Beermen broke their lose-win-lose-win ride, going back-to-back and seizing the 3-2 series lead with a 103-92 victory Friday.
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"Kinapalan ko lang ang mukha ko," said Cruz in his 27-point performance marked by 3-of-4 three-point shooting to help San Miguel Beer to the hill and on the verge of payback versus Ginebra which beat them in their previous semis matchup.
"Game 5 was pivotal, malaki ang tsansa to get to the series kung sino ang makakuha nito. But we still have a lot of work to do especially ang kalaban natin eh 'Never Say Die,'" said Austria.
But the Beermen have their own deep desire.
While the Kings hope to salvage the series and be in the title playoffs of all conferences in PBA Season 49, the Beermen also want to be there and at least get one finals in the season.
Also, there's the Beermen's desire to stamp their class in the conference that is their virtual playground. They haven't won an All-Filipino crown since their last in 2022.
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All is not lost on Ginebra, and coach Tim Cone hopes his team finally find their shooting touch to have a chance at sending the Beermen to a deciding Game 7.
Miscues and bad shooting marked Ginebra's finish in Game 5 resulting to a second straight defeat after an 82-107 blowout in the previous tiff.
But Cone is still hoping for a big game from his chargers, probably in Game 6 that could be a Sunday thriller.(SB)
