Game 1, Ginebra 102-96
Game 2, San Miguel 95-78
Game 3, Ginebra 116-103
Game 4, San Miguel 106-104
Game 5, Ginebra 106-98
Game 6, San Miguel 98-84
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Game Today (Araneta Coliseum)
7:00 p.m. — Ginebra vs San Miguel

No team has won back-to-back games in the Motolite-PBA Fiesta Cup Finals — a trend that should suit defending champion Barangay Ginebra fine if it holds one last time.

Having won Games 1, 3 and 5, the Kings are on track for a major celebration tonight when they go up against the San Miguel Beermen in the winner-take-all Game 7 at the Araneta Coliseum.

San Miguel is, however, hell bent on reversing the flow, bucking the odds, and crashing the party.

The sudden death between the conference’s outright semifinalists, fifth straight in a Finals series, is set at 7 p.m.

San Miguel kept alive its bid of winning title No. 18 with a masterful 98-84 win in Game 6 Wednesday at the Big Dome, with Best Import winner Gabe Freeman delivering his 21st double-double performance: 24 points and 12 rebounds, the most for a player this conference.

The Kings won Games 1 (102-96), 3 (116-103) and 5 (106-98), but the Beermen hope to break the process and capped their victories Games 2 (95-78) and 4 (106-104) with a crowning Game 7 triumph.

San Miguel coach Siot Tanquingcen credited his team’s tenacity on the defensive end. The Beermen won the rebounding department (47-39) and held Ginebra to a miserable 29-of-73 or 39.7 percent from the field.

Playing tough defense, he stressed, will be the key.

“We still think that defense and rebounding will dictate this series,” said Tanquingcen, who is eyeing his fourth title and first with the San Miguel franchise. “Actually we haven’t done anything special. God put us in this situation to bless us and see how we respond to adversity.”

In Game 7 situations, Ginebra has history on its side, winning two sudden-death matches, the first in the 1991 Reinforced Conference under the legendary Robert Jaworski and then during last season?s Fiesta Cup championship against Air21.

As for San Miguel, the team has a 2-4 win-loss record each time the series goes the distance, losing its last three, the most recent during the 2003 Reinforced Conference versus Coca-Cola.

Kings coach Jong Uichico doesn’t dwell much on history, however.

“We could have finished it off but it didn’t happen. At least we have a 50-50 chance to win the series,” said Uichico, who is aiming for his and the team’s ninth championship.

“We have our aches and pain but it’s championship time. They (Ginebra players) are trying their best under the circumstances. You cannot say that they?re not trying. They’re trying. It will boil down on who will make their shots.”

After scoring 29 points in Game 5, Ginebra import David Noel was held to 16 in Game 6 on 4-of-18 shooting, which all came from the three-point territory.