Despite helping TNT to an authoritative Game 5 win in the PBA Philippine Cup Finals that had the Tropang 5G fanning their hopes of completing a Grand Slam, the veteran Kelly Williams was in no celebratory mood.
Fresh off of their 86-78 win over San Miguel Beer, Williams exited the Araneta Coliseum with a focused gaze in place of a joyous smile.
“We just have to play on Friday. That’s it,” Williams told the Inquirer straightforwardly. “We just have to play and see what happens.
“There’s nothing to celebrate. We’re down and we have to fight. That’s it.”
Williams, a former MVP with Sta. Lucia more than a decade back, put his best foot forward in the first of three must-win games with 14 points and seven rebounds that helped the Tropang 5G cut the Beermen’s lead to 3-2.
The grizzled big man also had a hand in limiting reigning Best Player of the Conference winner June Mar Fajardo to below 20 points. He only had 13 against Williams on that rainy Wednesday night.
The Tropang 5G, who can become just the fourth franchise to win the Triple Crown should they survive the odds, will enter the final three days of the season needing to win two straight times, something they are no strangers to.
“Most of these guys have been there for the first two championships so they know there’s nothing to celebrate until the trophy’s up or until the last buzzer,” Williams added.
Only defunct Crispa with two and Alaska, San Miguel Beer in 1989 and San Mig Coffee (now Purefoods) in 2014, completed the rare season sweep in the 49-year history of the league.
“All we’re thinking about is Friday. [Being down 3-1 coming into Game 4] didn’t play a role in our heads,” he said. “We’ll just play on Friday because that’s all that matters.”
TNT will play the rest of the series without several vital cogs, counting Poy Erram, the big man who was finally ruled out because of injuries on both legs. The Tropang 5G have already been without Jayson Castro and Rey Nambatac.
Williams and the Tropang 5G look to force a winner-take-all Game 7 on Friday when they play Game 6 against a hungry Beermen squad at Philsports Arena in Pasig.
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