THE wait is over as the "April Thrill" explodes.
It's been a tedious wait from the final days of March and to the onset of April, but the wait is coming to an end, with Barangay Ginebra and TNT Tropang Giga starting their clash for the PBA Governors' Cup crown in an Easter Sunday battle at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The series kickoff is set at 6 p.m.
It's bound to happen -- a face-off between two teams built to win championships.
Coach Tim Cone and his troops are looking to stretch their dynastic run. And as such, they are starting as the odds-on favorites but the Tropang Giga can't be taken for granted with their own brilliant cast that have proven their worth in their title run in the 2021 Philippine Cup.
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The Kings and the Tropang Giga dominated their respective semifinal opponents, with Ginebra sweeping past San Miguel Beer and TNT rolling over Meralco in four games.
Now comes the hard part in what many see as a knife-edge showdown.
Justin Brownlee and the Kings are five-time Governors Cup champs over a period of six years but are now facing what's probably the biggest challenge that could come their way.
For one, the Tropang Giga are tougher than they were inside the Bacolod bubble, with the addition of Calvin Oftana and the team's growth and improvement.
And they're a determined bunch in a redemption tour after a forgettable showing in the last Commissioner's Cup. They topped the elims with a dominant 10-1 mark and are now 14-2 overall with tremendous boost from import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and able guidance from interim head coach Jojo Lastimosa.
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The past week has been filled with talks about the mentor versus the mentee or the teacher versus the student, referring to the Cone-Lastimosa duel.
There's really an excitement there, but now comes the hardcourt battle with marquee matchups.
Ginebra may have the edge in the frontcourt with a power led by Best Player of the Conference leading contender Christian Standhardinger. But the Tropa may even up with their advantage in the backcourt with such talents as Mikee Williams, RR Pogoy and Jayson Castro.
Just everybody sees a classic title series.
"Ginebra is the best team in the league but we are the best team in the conference. We're No. 1 (seeds) so we won't be thinking we're the underdogs. We're the hound dogs, we're the German shepherds," said Tropang Giga governor and PBA chairman Ricky Vargas.
"We'll see to it we'll match their energy. With due respect to the best basketball mind and manager of this league, (Ginebra governor) Al Chua, this team will be very competitive in this series," he added.
"Magandang laban ito," said Chua. "Parehong magaling ang coaches, talented ang players. Ang lamang lang ng Ginebra is iyung fans."
It's a race to four games series. It could well be a fortnight of epic matches that could fit the bill "April Thrill." (SB)
