1997 Gordon's Gin Boars season
| 1997 Gordon's Gin Boars season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Robert Jaworski |
| All-Filipino Cup results | |
| Record | 16–12 (.571) |
| Place | 2nd |
| Playoff finish | Finals |
| Commissioner's Cup results | |
| Record | 16–9 (.640) |
| Place | 1st |
| Playoff finish | Finals |
| Governors Cup results | |
| Record | 7–8 (.467) |
| Place | 6th |
| Playoff finish | Quarterfinals |
|
Stats @ PBA-Online.net |
|
| Gordon's Gin Boars seasons | |
The 1997 Gordon's Gin Boars season was the 19th season of the franchise in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).
On September 7, the Gordon's Gin Boars ended a six-year title drought by winning the Commissioner's Cup crown, defeating Alaska Milkmen, 4 games to 2, for their fourth PBA championship.
Formerly Ginebra San Miguel, the La Tondeña ballclub will be known as Gordon's Gin Boars for the league's 23rd season. With only one addition in their lineup; former Ginebra cager Antero Saldaña, who last played for the team a decade ago, their roster from last season remain intact. The Boars won their first three games in the All-Filipino Cup. In their second game against San Miguel on February 23, Bal David converted on a long trey with three seconds left as he dribbled past midcourt line and threw a prayer of a shot that went in as the buzzer sounded, lifting the Boars to a thrilling 83-81 win over the Beermen. Gordon's Gin were on top of the standings with six wins and one loss after the first round of eliminations, losing only to Alaska on March 2. The Boars finish with the overall best record of 10 wins and 4 losses, despite losing their last two games in the eliminations.
Gordon's Gin and traditional All-Filipino powerhouse Purefoods Corned Beef Cowboys easily made it to the finals and the two most popular teams will play against each other in the championship for only the second time in their history since they last played way back in the 1988 All-Filipino finals, won by Gordon's Gin (then Añejo Rum 65). In the finals series, the Boars lost to the more experience Cowboys in six games with Alvin Patrimonio playing superb for Purefoods in the title-clinching Game Six, scoring 40 points to lead his team to an 82-73 win.
The Boars brought in Tyrone Hopkins as their import for the Commissioner's Cup. Hopkins led the Boars to the semifinals with six wins and four losses, tied with three other teams at first place. During the semifinal round, the hardworking Hopkins was unexpectedly replaced by NBA veteran Chris King. Gordon's Gin and San Miguel Beermen battled it out for the second finals berth after the Alaska Milkmen advances first. On August 24, the Boars outlasted San Miguel in two overtimes, 106-100, for their third straight finals appearance.
In the best-of-seven title series against defending champion Alaska, the Boars went up 3-0 and on a verge of a four-game sweep but the Milkmen came back with victories in Games four and five. Gordon's Gin wrapped it up in Game six as they held Alaska to only five points in the third quarter to pull away with a 30-point lead, 79-49, going into the final 12 minutes. The Boars won in a convincing fashion, 105-79, for their first championship in six years since they last won a crown in 1991. Boars' playing-coach Sonny Jaworski became the oldest active player to win a PBA title.
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