Four teams with championship aspirations will duke it out as the back-to-back finals of the 2006 SIP Inter-Color Basketball League kicks off tonight at the CMS Basketball Court in Gualo Rai.
The 6:30pm curtain raiser will feature Game 1 of the best-of-three championship in the 40-and-over division, which will pit undefeated and pennant champion Diamond Fixers against this season's Cinderella team, Tan Holdings Corp.
Idle since it clinched a finals ticket last Sept. 6, Diamond Fixers will once again rely on its run-and-gun backcourt made up of Martin Moreno, Adonis Macoto, Warren Villegas, Roger Valencia, and Tony “Payton” Gabriel.
Its frontcourt is also nothing to sneeze at as veteran board crashers and inside scorers Tom Alegre, Boy Garcia, and Art Salazar roam the interior.
Tan Holdings playing coach Henry Cruz will definitely have a David-and-Goliath scenario in his hands when his players go up against Diamond Fixers, and the former Rizal province standout could only wish that the game would follow the script of the Bible.
Cruz is once again expected to lean on the inside strength of forwards William Opone and Raymond Grafil, the shooting touch of Ariel Jinang and Ador Dimaano, and the decision making of playmaker Ferdie Tobias.
The conglomerate has had a good run the past two weeks beginning with its knockout of fancied Sabungero in the start of the playoffs. It was also impressive in its 100-82 pounding of Construction Material Supply in the semis last week and hopes to emulate that in their collision with the powerhouse Diamond Fixers tonight.
In their only encounter in the eliminations last Aug. 20, Diamond Fixers blasted Tan Holdings, 81-68.
Unlike the top-meets-bottom affair in the 40-and-over finals, the open division championship series will be a battle between the season's top two teams, as pennant champion Bayani takes on pennant runner-up Mover beginning at 8pm.
Both teams are loaded with experienced players with Bayani hinging its championship dreams on the likes of Andres “Jhun” Estolas Jr., Jawn Joyner, Gyles Ruluked, Marlon De Dios, Errol Peredo, and Junar Guiab, while Mover is counting on reliables Elmer Esdrelon, Darwin Barbo, Bing Marasigan, Ronnel Gamboa, Chris Domingo, and Jolan Mendoza.
Bayani advanced to the best-of-three finals after subduing Sabungero, 77-71, last Sept. 13, while Mover joined them three days later with a 97-91 nipping of SMF.
Bayani exacted Mover its first and only loss of the season thus far with a 92-71 drubbing last Aug. 19.
For more information about the SIP cage league finals, call commissioner Boy Garcia at 233-0802.
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