I still remember the tension in the air during that final PBA game 7 - the kind that makes your palms sweat even when you're just watching from home. The final score that night was Barangay Ginebra defeating Meralco Bolts 101-96 in overtime, a game that had fans on the edge of their seats until the very last second. What many people don't realize is how much these high-stakes games take a physical toll on athletes, something I've witnessed firsthand covering sports injuries throughout my career. Just last week, I was reading about a 31-year-old athlete who finally disclosed her supraspinatus tendinitis diagnosis on her left shoulder, and it reminded me how these professional players often compete through pain that would sideline most of us.
The championship game itself was a masterclass in endurance and strategy. Ginebra's Justin Brownlee put up 32 points, 15 rebounds, and 7 assists - numbers that still impress me when I look back at the stats. But what the box score doesn't show is the physical cost. Watching players stretch their shoulders during timeouts, I often wonder about the hidden injuries they're managing. That 31-year-old athlete's story about her shoulder injury resonates because I've seen how shoulder issues can completely change a player's shooting form and effectiveness. The supraspinatus tendon is crucial for overhead movements - exactly what basketball players need for shooting and rebounding.
From my perspective, what made this particular finals series so compelling wasn't just the back-and-forth scoring but the underlying physical battles. Both teams had players dealing with various degrees of wear and tear. I recall thinking during the fourth quarter how some players were favoring one shoulder over the other when shooting free throws. It's these subtle signs that tell you more about an athlete's condition than any post-game interview. The overtime period alone featured 18 lead changes, which is absolutely exhausting for players already dealing with physical limitations.
Having worked with sports medicine professionals, I can tell you that supraspinatus tendinitis typically requires 4-6 weeks of proper rest to heal - something professional athletes rarely get during crucial playoff series. That 31-year-old's decision to finally speak about her injury highlights a cultural shift we're seeing in sports, where players are becoming more transparent about their physical struggles. In the past, athletes would hide such injuries for fear of appearing weak or giving opponents strategic advantages.
The game's turning point came with about 2:13 left in overtime when Scottie Thompson hit a three-pointer that put Ginebra up by 4 points. Thompson himself had been playing through a wrist injury that limited his practice time to just 45 minutes daily in the week leading up to the game. These are the sacrifices that championship teams make - playing through pain while maintaining peak performance. The final statistics showed Ginebra shooting 48% from the field compared to Meralco's 44%, but those numbers don't capture the sheer determination displayed by both teams.
What continues to fascinate me about these high-pressure games is how they reveal both the physical and mental toughness of athletes. That undisclosed shoulder injury story reminds me of conversations I've had with trainers who estimate that roughly 60% of players compete with some form of unresolved injury during finals series. The human body wasn't designed for this level of constant impact and stress, yet these athletes push through barriers most of us can't comprehend.
Looking back at that epic game 7, I'm struck by how much happens beneath the surface of what viewers see on television. The scoreboard tells one story, but the individual battles with pain and fatigue tell another. Both teams combined for 18 three-pointers that night, but what impressed me more was watching players adjust their techniques to compensate for physical limitations. The 31-year-old's decision to finally disclose her shoulder condition represents progress in how we discuss athlete health, though we still have a long way to go in understanding the full impact of these hidden struggles on performance and career longevity.
The legacy of that 101-96 overtime victory extends beyond championships and statistics. It represents the culmination of sacrifice, pain management, and sheer willpower that defines professional basketball at its highest level. As someone who's followed the sport for decades, I believe we're entering an era where we'll see more athletes being open about their physical challenges, changing how fans appreciate the game and how organizations manage player health. That final buzzer didn't just signal the end of a championship series - it marked another chapter in the ongoing conversation about what it truly takes to compete at the professional level.
I still remember the first time I watched Ernest John Obiena compete—there was something about his approach that felt different, more deliberate. When he cla
