MANILA, 18 February 2006 — Kerby Raymundo said, rather, hollered his piece.
Enrico Villanueva responded like the educated man that he is.
And lost in all the din of the verbal battle as to who the real MVP is in the PBA Fiesta Cup was rookie Larry Fonacier, who has continued to perform above expectations to take Red Bull closer to snapping a four-year title drought.
Fonacier scored all of the Barako’s final seven points last night as Red Bull won for the first time in three games for a 3-2 series lead after a thrilling 91-86 victory over Purefoods.
“When we got him in the draft, I had wanted to break him in gently,” Red Bull coach Yeng Guiao said of his 6-foot-2 guard out of Ateneo. “But now he has certainly earned his spot in this team and his playing time as well.”
The playoffs have been a coming out party for Fonacier, whose career seemed to be in peril two years ago after undergoing arthroscopic surgery to repair an ACL tear in his right knee.
Red Bull’s classic semifinal series against Barangay Ginebra announced his coming of age in so short a time, and the way he has played in this title series has given Guiao another solid perimeter option that is crucial to beating Purefoods. Fonacier, picked seventh overall in the draft, first hit a three-pointer to cool off a searing comeback by the Giants from as many as 17 points down in the third period.
His two free throws off a Raymundo foul with 19.8 seconds remaining put the game to bed as the Barako now try to wrap it all up in Game 6 scheduled tomorrow also at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao.
“I know that I have shown confidence (while talking here in the press room) even if we lost the last two games,” Guiao added. “It’s only because I know that we can come back and win again.
“Just like I know that Purefoods has the capability to still beat us. This is not yet over.”
James Penny scored 10 points in the first quarter, 11 in the middle two periods and capped off a 31-point night with another 10 in the fourth to lead all Red Bull scorers and negate another superb offensive game by Purefoods’ Marquin Chandler.
Chandler hit 18 points in the comeback third period for the Giants, who almost erased a 56-39 deficit. He went on to finish with 43 points and 17 rebounds.
A raging controversy has developed ever since Raymundo shouted on national television after Purefoods’ Game 4 win that he is the real MVP of the Conference.
Villanueva humbly said before the start of last night’s game that “only winning the championship will settle this. Had he (Raymundo) won the award, I would have extended my hand in congratulations and moved on.”
It is a sidelight that has taken some of the luster away from the series, with fans from both sides chanting “M-V-P, M-V-P,” whenever either player has the ball or is on the line for free throws.
Villanueva, the bull-strong Red Bull cornerstone, won out in one of the closest ballotings ever for the Player of the Conference award on Wednesday. His 226-point victory over Raymundo actually eclipsed the old mark of 228 points by Dennis Espino over San Miguel’s Danny Seigle a few years back.
Lordy Tugade scored 11 points in the second period when the Barako regained control, as Red Bull overhauled a 13-point deficit in the first before taking the half at 50-39.
“This is the way I like playing (a series). Games high in emotion and physical,” Guiao said.
