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IT’S all
about adjustments and improvements for the four teams
which will see action Tuesday, the last playing date
before the Smart-Philippine Basketball Association
Fiesta Conference breaks for the annual All-Star.
At 4:50
p.m., Air21 Express will try to enhance its place in the
team standings as it goes up against the Chot
Reyes-coached Talk ‘N Text Phonepals.
The
Coca-Cola Tigers, meanwhile, will eye the solo
leadership as they battle Philippine Cup champions Sta.
Lucia Realtors at the 7:20 tussle.
Tigers
coach Binky Favis said facing the Realtors will be a
good matchup for his team, which is still working on its
cohesion.
“We’ve
had at least 14 acquisitions plus, of course, the two
imports, so chemistry is one thing we need to focus on,”
said Favis “But that’s one positive thing about this
team. We know we can get better chemistry-wise.”
Sta.
Lucia coach Boyet Fernandez said they intend to bounce
back from their listless defensive effort when they
suffered their first loss in the conference at the hands
of Talk ‘N Text.
“We
played uncharacteristically last time out as we gave up
115 points against Talk ‘N Text. It will be a big
challenge for my players, specifically in stopping
Coke’s big men,” said Fernandez.
After
winning its first three games, Sta. Lucia lost to Talk
‘N Text, 115-113, on Friday at the Araneta Coliseum,
anchored on the ever-improving plays of Kelly Williams,
rookie Ryan Reyes, veterans Dennis Espino, Marlou Aquino
and Paolo Mendoza, and dependable bench players Joseph
Yeo and Dennis Miranda.
Focus of
the Realtors rebounding will be on import Wesley Wilson,
who, after a sterling three-game rebounding performance,
where he averaged 12 per game, only grabbed six in their
loss to the Phonepals.
Coke is
tied with Red Bull with a 4-1 record. Talk ‘N Text,
meanwhile, is currently tied with the Magnolia Beverage
Masters with a 3-2 slate.
Meanwhile, Alaska import Randy Holcomb was summoned by
commissioner Sonny Barrios Tuesday. Holcomb was involved
in a physical tussle that bloodied the nose of Red
Bull’s Rich Alvarez during the Barakos 100-97 win over
Alaska on Saturday at the Ilocos Norte Centennial Arena in Laoag.
Cyrus
Player of the Week
RED
BULL’S fears about the negative ramifications of Junthy
Valenzuela’s departure were hardly founded at all.
With
Cyrus Baguio coming up big in the week that was, the
Barakos have continued their winning ways and managed to
claw their way back on top of the Fiesta Conference.
“He
stepped up in time and in a big way,” said coach Yeng
Guiao of Baguio, who was named by the PBA Press Corps as
its Smart-Accel Player of the Week for the period April
14 to 20.
With
Valenzuela, the team’s acknowledged leader, no longer
around, Baguio fit the take-charge role to a tee. He
averaged an amazing 25.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, as many
assists and 2.0 steals in Red Bull’s back-to-back wins
over Purefoods and Alaska, giving it a 4-1 win-loss
record and a share of the lead with Coca-Cola. |
