MANILA: Air21 is playing the first Final Four series of its young PBA life, and no matter what happens, the Express have certainly made this stint unforgettable.

Not given much of a chance since the Commissioner’s Cup playoffs began, the Express have remained unbeaten in this phase after chopping down San Mig Coffee 103-100 Tuesday night for a 1-0 lead in their best-of-five semifinal series at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Sean Anthony scattered a career-high tying 29 points, sustaining his brilliance in the playoffs and spearheading the Express yet again as they showed that they deserve to be in this round.

The 6-foot-4 Anthony joined hands with import Wesley Witherspoon, Joseph Yeo and the ageless Asi Taulava in making sure that the Express finished scorching hot before surviving a last-gasp San Mig Coffee rally.

From 85-87, Aldrech Ramos hit a triple and Yeo completed a three-point play that ushered the Express to a 91-87 lead going into the final 3:35.

That would prove to be enough buffer for the Express to hold on — though they barely did — as James Mays scored the last 12 San Mig points and almost sent the game into overtime only to barely miss a triple try at the buzzer.

“This is really a team effort,” Air21 coach Franz Pumaren, who labelled his Express as the gatecrashers here after bundling out No. 2 San Miguel Beer in the quarterfinals, said.

“We just didn’t want to quit. Several times, during the course of the game, we were down. But despite that, we just regrouped and didn’t run away from what we were supposed to do,” he continued.

“We did the little things we need to do to come back, and if you do that, good things happen.

Witherspoon contributed 25 points and Taulava fired 14 that went with nine rebounds as the Express moved within another win of matching the longest winning streak of the franchise — four games — chalked up in this conference last season while being reinforced by Michael Dunnigan.

Taulava also had a clutch layup with 1:20 remaining that gave the Express a 95-88 lead.

That layup was the most controversial of the night as the 6-foot-10 Taulava clearly took at least three steps in his driving move before launching the layup.

It also caused the ejection of San Mig Coffee coach Tim Cone just three seconds later, when the multi-titled coach went to the middle of the court to protest the call. The two technicals slapped on Cone resulted in the Express taking a 98-88 lead.

Air21 is an old name in the league, once finishing second to Barangay Ginebra. But this franchise is a new one that is owned by shopinas.com.

Game 2 of this series is scheduled on Thursday at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, even as Talk ‘N Text shoots for a 2-0 lead against Rain or Shine Wednesday at 8 p.m.

“This (the feeling) is just temporary,” Pumaren said minutes later. “We still need to win two more games to win this series. This is but a small step for us and we are just here to seize the moment. We’re the uninvited guests here right now.”

Pumaren also acknowledged the fact that they enjoyed a huge break in the Taulava non-call, even going on to make a joke out of it: “Asi was just too fast, too quick in his move for the referees to see.”

The Tropang Texters posted a 91-85 decision of the Elasto Painters in their series opener on Monday, one which became colorful after Texters import Richard Howell and Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao almost came to blows.

The altercation happened with just seconds remaining and both have appeared before commissioner Chito Salud Monday afternoon.

Penalties, if any, will be meted out before tip-off on Wednesday.

In another league development, Barangay Ginebra will appoint San Mig assistant coach Jeffrey Cariaso as its new head coach when the Mixers’ campaign in this conference ends.

Cariaso will be the third coach in as many conferences for the Gin Kings, who made an unceremonious exit in the quarterfinals here after bowing — in lopsided manner — to the Tropang Texters in the first game.