Danny Ildefonso’s Game Winner That Changed the 2011 Governor’s Cup Finals
The 2011 PBA Governor’s Cup was a battle of two narratives: Talk ‘N Text’s chase for a historic Grand Slam, and Petron Blaze’s redemption after one of the worst campaigns in franchise history. What unfolded was a Finals series for the ages, punctuated by Danny Ildefonso’s clutch game-winner that turned the tide of the championship. Petron Blaze’s Road to the Finals At the start of the 2011 Governor’s Cup, San Miguel Beer was rebranded as Petron Blaze. The team was coming off a disastrous 2-7 showing in the Commissioner’s Cup, and expectations were modest. Early struggles continued, as Petron shuffled imports and stumbled to a 2-2 record. But with the arrival of Jeremy Wise, the team caught fire—winning three of their last four elimination games to secure the No. 2 seed with a 5-3 record. In the semifinals, Petron survived a tough field despite losing Wise to injury, finishing at 8-5 overall. Their superior quotient gave them the last ticket to the Finals against powerhouse Ta...