Luigi asks: what makes Warriors special in finals?

The NLEX Road Warriors expect a more intense matchup as they try to closeout their finals series against the Cebuana Lhuillier Gems on Thursday in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Developmental League Foundation Cup. Game Two is set at 3 p.m. at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City. The Road Warriors won the series opener, 76-61, dominating the Gems with tough defense, good ball movement and grim determination.

They also displayed tremendous poise and calmness when the Gems tried to play rough.

“We know it’s going to be a lot tougher,” said NLEX coach Boyet Fernandez, adding they will carry the same plan in Game Two but cautioned his troops to be more focused and resolved as he anticipates Cebuana Lhuillier to come back strong.

“I have no doubt that coach Luigi [Trillo of Cebuana Lhuillier] will make the necessary adjustments. Cebuana is a strong team. They have the right tools to launch a comeback and tie the series. So we have to be prepared and be more focused,” Fernandez said.

The inexplicable disappearance of Cebuana Lhuillier’s supposed “take-charge” guys in Game One visibly hurt the Gems, who struggled on offense.

Allein Maliksi, Cebuana Lhuillier’s top marksman, led all scorers with 21 points but managed just five in the first half when the Road Warriors seized control. Worse, no other Gem scored in double digits.

“I honestly thought that [John] Raymundo, [Ogie] Menor, [Eric] Salamat and [Ronald] Pascual ate our guard up for merienda,” admitted Trillo. Trillo also took a jab at the game officials for awarding NLEX 17 free throws in the first half. NLEX finished the game shooting 17 of 24 from the line, while Cebuana Lhuillier went 11 of 13.

“The D-League refs have been allowing the whole season a lot of physicality. Why change it in the Finals? What makes NLEX special going to the basket?” he noted.

Indeed, Game One featured a lot of contact, mostly hard fouls.

Surprisingly, no one picked up a flagrant foul nor was thrown out of the game.

Perhaps none was more glaring than the cheap shots delivered by Cebuana Lhuillier’s Ariel Mepana, a six-foot-five forward with a good shooting touch from the perimeter and a rugged defender, on NLEX scoring guard Calvin Abueva. It all happened in the first half.

First, Mepana hit Abueva in the belly then hacked him in the neck minutes later.

Three minutes into the second quarter, Mepana struck again, this time he sneaked a solid punch that landed in the abdomen of the unsuspecting Abueva, who fell to the floor in pain. Mepana never got penalized on those contact because the referees apparently didn’t catch the Road Warrior in the act.

Unfortunately, it didn’t escape the watchful eyes of PBA commissioner Chito Salud. Salud ordered a review of the game tape and summoned Mepana to his office on Wednesday. Salud ruled that the punch that knocked down Abueva was a flagrant foul penalty 2 and penalized Mepana P7,400.

“It will be more physical on Thursday. But we will be prepared,” Fernadez said.

Dave Corros, Business Mirror