The Greatest Performance of a Reserve in a PBA Finals Game

(This article was originally written by the author for FHM.com on October, 2017)

PBA coaches, over the past 3 decades, have emulated their NBA colleagues – opting to field their strongest unit to start and most likely, end the game as well. Only Yeng Guiao perhaps has retained the unconventional, old-school approach of keeping his opponents guessing who among his players are starting. 

As such, the bench has become a critical factor, especially in a long series. With both teams playing alternate days and the starters normally logging in 30 minutes or more, the reserves need to provide the lift when they spell the starters to ensure that their team continues to do well.

 But there are special cases when the reserves don’t just serve as fillers, they have actually become game heroes themselves especially in the course of winning a championship. The Philippine Basketball Diaries lists down some of the more memorable games of reserve players in their respective teams during a Finals series.

1.  Willie Generalao – Presto Tivoli vs. Purefoods (Game 7, 1990 All Filipino Conference)

It was supposed to be a won series for the Hotdogs, supposedly the first for their franchise after joining the league in 1988. They had Baby Dalupan as their coach, Presto’s main man, Allan Caidic, couldn’t play in Game 7 because of a hand injury, and the Hotdogs just won Game 6 and had momentum. But the Presto veterans pulled through, led by Arnie Tuadles and Manny Victorino’s combined 58 points, Abe King’s 14 rebounds and the Little General, Coach Jimmy Mariano’s surprise “magic bunot.” Up by just 4, 49-45 halfway into the 3^rd canto, Generalao was fielded in, scored 8 points and swiped 2 possessions, leading a decisive 22-10 breakaway to give the Tivolis a 71-55 lead that they never relinquished. Generalao, who was recovering from a liver ailment a month before the Finals, relived his glory years and collaborated with his co-veterans to prove their worth against the up and coming young superstars of the Hotdogs.

2.  Ato Agustin – San Miguel Beer vs. Purefoods (Game 3, 1989 All Filipino Conference)

Many may not know this but Ato Agustin was a third-string backup point guard at SMB on his rookie year, playing behind Hector Calma and Franz Pumaren. Agustin, already a bonafide superstar in the PABL, remained patient and waited for his turn. Coach Norman Black would field in Agustin when he needed some spark off the bench, and this was what the Atom Bomb did in Game 3 of their Finals series vs. Purefoods. With the Beermen precariously leading, 88-86 early in the 4^th quarter, Agustin came off the bench, played a total of nine minutes, but delivered 5 of his 7 total points plus a couple of crucial defensive stops against Jojo Lastimosa to give the Beermen a 97-87 cushion with less than six minutes remaining. That key adjustment of Black going small with Calma and Elmer Reyes broke the collective backs of the Hotdogs, winning 122-109, and seizing the series lead, 2-1, on route to the championship.

3.  Chris Tan – Sta. Lucia Realty vs. San Miguel Beer (Game 6, 2001 Governors’ Cup)

It was only the second time that the Sta. Lucia Realtors have reached the Finals, succumbing to San Miguel in 5 games in the Commissioner’s Cup the season before. Only a few expected them to reverse their fortunes in a virtual rematch with the Beermen. With Best Import awardee Damien Owens leading the charge, the Realtors surprisingly led the entire series, winning Games 1, 3 and 5. Needing just a win to win their franchise title, Coach Norman Black turned to his stepson, Chris Tan, who was shooting blanks the entire series, missing 8 three point shots without making one, shocked everyone by attempting and making a huge three point shot with 3.3 seconds left in the game, giving the Realtors the lead, 75-72. Tan ended the game with 8 points and 2 rebounds, but none bigger than the dagger trey that gave SLR its first ever PBA title. Black, in the post-game interview, said he couldn’t believe Chris took that shot, but was happy for him, proving his mettle as a bonafide PBA player.

4.  Pido Jarencio – Gordon’s Gin vs. Alaska (Game 3, 1997 Commissioner’s Cup)

Gordon’s Gin was up, 2-0 in the series against the Alaska Aces, but fortunes were most likely to reverse after Chris King pulled his left hamstring late in Game 2 and was a doubtful starter for Game 3. True enough, King wasn’t fielded in except in the final minutes of the ballgame as the Boars relied heavily on their local crew of sophomore Marlou Aquino, veteran Terry Saldaña, and streak-shooting Pido Jarencio. With the Fireman waxing hot all game long, Gordon’s struck hardest in the 3^rd quarter to take the lead with Jarencio firing 7 out of 8 from beyond the arc to finish the game with a sizzling 23 points. Jarencio’s heroics, including a crucial trey in the final minutes, coupled with King’s inside basket, sealed the win for the Boars, 87-86 and a commanding 3-0 lead that virtually took the starch out of the hapless Aces.

5.  Jayjay Helterbrand – Barangay Ginebra vs. Meralco (Game 4, 2016 Governors’ Cup)

 Just about the same time last year, Jayjay Helterbrand celebrated his 40^th birthday with a bang. Ginebra was down 1-2, in their best of seven series against the Meralco Bolts and badly needed to win Game 4 to preserve their chance of winning their first title in 8 years. In a rollercoaster game that saw Ginebra’s halftime lead of 11 points disappear and then falling behind by 16 in the 3^rd quarter, Tim Cone was becoming desperate. He took a gamble on the seldom-used 2009 MVP, fielding him late in the 3^rd quarter, and saw the Fast deliver 11 clutch points in the 4^th, enabling the Kings to roar back from a 58-74 deficit with a 14-0 run, cutting the lead down to 2. And with the frenzied crowd cheering Ginebra lustily, the Kings saved their championship chances by pulling off a magical 88-86 victory to tie the series. Helterbrand’s turning back the hands of time on his 40^th birthday couldn’t be more special.

6. Jireh Ibañes – Rain or Shine vs. B-Meg (Game 3, 2012 Governors’ Cup)

We should not have probably included a player from a Yeng Guiao team because of his coaching style mentioned above. But it’s hard not to include Rain or Shine’s longest tenured player, Jireh Ibañes, in the list. The series was tied at 1 apiece, but the E-Painters had the significant handicap after losing star Paul Lee to a shoulder injury in Game 2. But with Guiao boldly predicting before the game that ROS would still win the title even without the Leethal Weapon, it was up to his bunch of gritty young guys to prove him right. Ibañes set the tone in the first quarter, scoring 8 of his 12 points to keep the Painters afloat and later came back to play solid defense against superstar James Yap, limiting him to a season-low 7 points, allowing ROS to break away from the game in the 3^rd stanza, and an imposing 70-52 lead with a quarter remaining. Ibañes two-way game was ideal for ROS’ physicality that affected the Llamados both physically and mentally.