Fans get full ‘taste’ of frenzied Philippines Basketball Association in Dubai

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  Mark Caguioa of Barangay Ginebra San Miguel shown before his team's PBA game against Rain or Shine Elasto Painters on Friday in Dubai. Jonathan Raymond / The National

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  Jarrid Famous of GlobalPort Batang Pier goes for a rebound against Rain or Shine Elasto Painters' Paul Lee during their PBA game on Thursday in Dubai. Antonie Robertson / The National

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  Jarrid Famous of GlobalPort Batang Pier goes up for a shot against Raymond Almazan of Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in their PBA game in Dubai on Thursday. Antonie Robertson / The National

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  Fans cheer on Philippines Basketball Association teams during an official league game in Dubai on Thursday. Antonie Robertson / The National

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  Fans show support for PBA team Barangay Ginebra San Miguel on Friday in their PBA game in Dubai. Jonathan Raymond / The National

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  Billy Mamaril of GlobalPort Batang Pier dribbles against Beau Belga of Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in their PBA game in Dubai on Thursday. Antonie Robertson / The National

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  Jarrid Famous of GlobalPort Batang Pier attempts a shot against Rain or Shine Elasto Painters during their PBA game on Thursday in Dubai. Antonie Robertson / The National

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  Rain or Shine Elasto Painters players warm up before their game against Barangay Ginebra San Miguel on Friday in Dubai. Jonathan Raymond / The National

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  A fan holds up a sign in support of Barangay Ginebra San Miguel during their PBA game against Rain or Shine Elasto Paints in Dubai on Friday. Jonathan Raymond / The National

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  Denok Miranda of GlobalPort Batang Pier tries to dribble by Paul Lee of Rain or Shine Elasto Painters on Thursday in their PBA game in Dubai. Antonie Robertson / The National

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  A fan cheers during the PBA game between GlobalPort Batang Pier and Rain or Shine Elasto Painters on Thursday in Dubai. Antonie Robertson / The National

Back in August, at the Fiba Under 17 World Championships in Dubai, the Philippines U17 squad were the impetus for a basketball setting the likes of which is rarely seen in this region.

Throughout their six-game run, which ended with a 15th-place finish in a 16-team field, basketball-mad Filipinos nevertheless showed up en masse to scream and cheer and chant and as if they were behind the near-invincible American side.

For a weekend, at least, that atmosphere returned to Dubai at Al Shabab’s basketball arena.

Back for the first time since 2012, the Philippines Basketball Association staged a pair of official Governor’s Cup games, putting on display for adoring fans the madcap style and pace that best characterises Filipino hoops.

Fans filled the Al Shabab arena, overflowing into stairwells, standing around the court and generally giving the place the feel of a loud and loose streetball game.

The teams played to that feel, too.

In the first game on Thursday, Rain or Shine Elasto Painters defeated GlobalPort Batang Pier 119-112, despite being outshot 94 attempts to 78. They turned the ball over a combined 45 times.

On Friday Barangay Ginebra San Miguel made it a split for Rain or Shine, handing them a 93-81 loss, also while taking fewer attempts, 75 to 85. There were 34 combined turnovers.

Between the two games the PBA players shot 42.2 per cent (140-for-332) and committed 79 turnovers and a staggering 110 fouls. By comparison, the weekend’s two NBA play-off games featured 46.2 per cent shooting (146-for-316), 49 turnovers and 68 fouls.

It was hectic, disorganised, downright anarchic – and fun.

For nearly the entire first half on Friday night, the pitch of the Ginebra-partisan crowd would rise with the progression of every Ginebra possession. A soft murmur as the ball is brought up the court. A slight squeal by the time the ball is passed. A full-blown shriek by the time the shot has been taken. And if it goes in? Well then it’s pandemonium, all for a bucket to make it 10-8 in the first quarter.

They would go especially wild any time one of their favourites, like former MVP Mark Caguioa or Philippines national teamer LA Tenorio, drained a shot. With 41 points between the two of them, it made for a lot of noise.

The more chaotic, the better. Perhaps the loudest the crowd got was during a fight for a loose ball in the fourth quarter. Bouncing this way and that, grasped and lost again, for a good 10-15 seconds Ginebra and Rain or Shine players flung themselves at it, the crowd becoming more and more manic, until Ginebra finally came into possession for good – sending the building into rapturous cries of, “GI-NE-BRA! GI-NE-BRA!”

The “Seven Seconds or Less” Phoenix Suns made fast pace fashionable in the mid-aughts in the NBA. If the Dubai games were any indication, the PBA is a whole “Seven Seconds or Less” league.

“They make us run all the time,” laughed Ginebra player Dave Marcelo after the game.

Even the music was a frenetic constant, blaring electronic beats layered over every second of gameplay.

That, the style of play and, most importantly, the cacophony of the crowd all kind of melted together for a basketball revelry.

“Everywhere we go we have these fans, the fans are like our sixth man,” said Ginebra coach Frankie Lim. “We’re very thankful for all of them.”

Added his assistant Rodericko Racela: “Travelling is hard, being away from your family is hard.

“But in front of all these Filipinos overseas it is important,” to perform, he said.

Before the weekend the PBA commissioner Chito Salud promised, “you will see and you will get the taste of what competitive basketball in the PBA really is”.

The PBA’s teams, its players, its overarching product delivered on that. Freewheeling and frenzied, it was a taste the fans couldn’t get enough of.

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