CHICAGO - Of all the prior heartaches, this one punctures the soul the most, the kind that makes you ruminate on the meaning and mystery of life.
When Juan Gomez De Liano swished a 4 to put Converge ahead, 95-89, with just 1:39 left to play, it should have been enough to dart the FiberXers to the Final Four of the PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup.
READ Juan GdL trolled as late-game gesture backfires in OT thriller
It was a dagger alright; but it just didn't kill Ginebra, which is the scary thing about those Gin Kings. You can drag them to death's door but they won't be pushed inside.
Never say die.
With Stephen Holt's 3 at the buzzer, lifting the league's darlings to a pulsating 99-98 overtime win, the Ginebra legend grows.
Sadly at Converge, the misery of missing the semifinals after four tries in three years continues.
WHAT IF.
In this latest failed test, there are three pillars of regret.
While protecting an 86-83 lead in the final nine seconds of regulation, Alec Stockton fouled Jeremiah Gray in the act of shooting behind the arc, gifting the Ginebra wing with three free throws that forced overtime.
Inexplicable. Inexcusable.
With eight seconds to go in OT, Justine Baltazar missed a huge free throw that could have pushed Converge further away with a 3-point cushion.
Tough break.
And in that last play where RJ Abarrientos was attempting to penetrate, MJ Garcia gambled by trying to feign a double team.
Although Garcia was able to compensate, his rush to close out made him fall for a ball fake as Holt drilled the game-winning basket.
UNFORTUNATE
Those fumbles highlighted Ginebra's advantage in poise and experience over the youth and energy of the FiberXers.
De Liano finished with 25 points and an array of acrobatic shots. Archie Concepcion played out of his mind with 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting.
Baltazar and Justine Arana combined for 28 points and 33 rebounds.
All for naught.
You don't have to be a FiberXers fan to bleed for those young guys.
And you don't have to be a Ginebra fan, either, to appreciate the defiance they put together to pull off that harrowing escape.
Sunday night's thriller at the Araneta Coliseum was plucked out of a Shakespeare play.
Tragic but beautiful.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
