For seven games, Ian Sangalang and Beau Belga have been banging bodies and figuring in skirmishes.
And even in the dying seconds of the series between the Magnolia Hotshots and the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, the two still butted heads.
After James Yap bricked a potential game-tying layup, the 6-foot-7 Sangalang managed to grab the rebound. At that time, Magnolia were up by two with a little less than two seconds left on the clock.
Needing to foul, the 6-foot-5 Belga ran into Sangalang to send him to the stripe. Sangalang did not take too kindly to this, asserting Belga had made an unnecessary movement after.
Yes, the two figured in one last word war before Sangalang sealed the series with a free throw.
It was all too sweet for the six-year pro.
“Well, ganun talaga. Ganun talaga siya eh. Sa akin wala naman yun eh,” shared Sangalang.
“Pero kung tirahin niya ko eh di sige lang. Panalo naman ako ngayon.”
Still, the difficult journey to back-to-back Finals appearances made it sweeter for Sangalang.
They first had to overcome a dismal 0-3 start and win five of their last six games just to enter the playoffs.
Once they got there, they had to find their resolve after falling behind 0-1 in their best-of-three quarterfinals series against Ginebra.
This time around, the Hotshots were able to rally back from a 0-2 series deficit to eliminate Rain or Shine in seven games to make a return trip to the championship round.
With this shared experience, Sangalang is confident that he and the Hotshots are better equipped to take down the mighty San Miguel Beermen in the Finals.
“Siguro, mas okay kami ngayon kasi mas madami kaming pinagdaanan na series. Mas madami kaming experience na pinagdaanan,” the product of San Sebastian College expressed.
“Ayun nga, dalhin lang namin yung sa mindset namin lagi na hindi gumigive up, na positive lang kami lagi. Tapos ayun nga, yung maniwala lang kami sa bawat isa, siguro maganda yung kinalalabasan.”
