THOUGH his team found itself at the losing end of a quarterfinal thriller, Rain or Shine co-owner Terry Que was fortright enough to admit that Barangay Ginebra's success will be good for the pro league.
Que pointed out that Ginebra is the league’s biggest draw, as proven once again by the huge crowd that came to watch Monday's sudden-death match which the Gin Kings won over the Painters, 81-79.
“Kita mo naman, alanganin na araw yung do-or-die namin, pero punong puno kami (sa venue),” said Que, who personally witnessed the sellout crowd at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
“Monday yun ha tapos single game pa. Alanganin na araw pero puno, tinalo pa namin yung double-header nung isang araw,” he added.
The numbers bear out Que's claim as gate attendance for the Ginebra-Rain or Shine game eclipsed the 11,678 that watched the Sunday double-header featuring San Mig Coffee, Meralco, Petron, and Talk 'N Text.
The Ginebra-Rain or Shine game attracted 12,764 spectators to the Big Dome, the biggest Monday crowd in two decades based on league records.
“Kahit masakit yung pagkatalo namin, natuwa kami kasi ang sarap ng pakiramdam sa venue … Punong puno ng tao,” said Que, expressing the wish that the Painters and the Kings will one day face each other in the finals.
For his part, Que's friend and business partner Raymund Yu praised the officiating during the knockout match.
“I know fans are used to hearing teams complain, pero with our loss to Ginebra we can say that we really lost to the better team,” said Yu. “Hindi talaga para sa amin (ang laro)."
Yu said he hopes one day their team can develop the same following as Ginebra.
“Sila pa rin talaga ang pinakasikat na team, not just in the PBA kungdi sa Pilipinas,” said the soft-spoken Yu, adding he expects the Ginebra-Talk 'N Text semifinal series to attract similar attention.
“That series will be the main series. Alam mo naman basta Ginebra, pinag-uusapan before the game, pinag-uusapan pa rin after the game,” said Yu.
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