AFTER breaking a four-game losing streak to start the season, FEU head coach Denok Miranda bared how he used the anecdote of his inspiring 2007 PBA title romp with Sta. Lucia to inspire his once struggling squad.
The two-time PBA champion drew parallels with what his first title-winning team had to overcome en route to a rather unexpected championship.
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"Kulang pa kasi nasa (learning) process pa rin kami. Sa totoo lang, sa mga ganitong situations, may shine-share ako sa kanila — ‘yung pinagdaanan ko as a player," Miranda prefaced.
"Sana mangyari na nu’ng Sta. Lucia days ko, unknown team ‘yun. Nu’ng nanalo kami ng isang maganda-ganda, nag-dirediretso kami. Pag-aaralan namin nang mabuti na nu’ng time na na-experience ko sa Sta. Lucia, magawa namin dito sa journey namin sa FEU," he said.
In the 2007 Philippine Cup, Miranda's Realtors lost six of their first ten elimination round matches and went on to win the next eight en route to securing the second seed in the playoffs.
With an outright semis spot at hand, Sta. Lucia battled a Jeffrey Cariaso-led Alaska side which the Realtors pinned down in seven thrilling games.
And in similar fashion, the Realtors survived the top-seeded Purefoods team with the PSY trio of Marc Pingris, PJ Simon, and James Yap at the forefront of an eventual bridesmaid finish.
Miranda played all seven games of the title series where he averaged 9.3 points, four assists, and 2.9 rebounds on 46.3% shooting.
Sixteen years later in Coach Denok's return to his alma mater, he faces an identical situation with a troubling 0-4 start gradually upended by a two-game win run.
As the first round comes to a close in a highly competitive field for Season 86, only time will tell if history can repeat itself for Miranda and the rest of the Tamaraws.
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