AFTER two failed bids, Red Bull try once more to clinch the elusive win No. 8 when it faces Air21 in their scheduled rematch this afternoon at the Araneta Coliseum.

The Barakos are lucky enough to remain in first place after losing two in a row against Talk ’N Text and Coca-Cola.

But they can’t afford another defeat. A third-straight loss will drop them out of first place and imperil their bid for an outright semifinal berth in the 2008 Smart-Philippine Basketball Association Fiesta Cup.

Certainly, the Barakos need to play with more sense of urgency against the Express (6-5), who are aiming to bounce back from Saturday’s loss against the Barangay Ginebra Kings.

Game time is 4:50 p.m.

Red Bull dealt Air21 an 85-72 decision in their first meeting, but the Express have shown great improvement since and have gone 4-2 in their last six games.

“Our immediate goal is to get our energy back after the loss against Ginebra,” said Air21 coach Bo Perasol.

Perasol said their success depends on their ability to contain Red Bull import Adam Parada, who has been averaging in double-double figures.

The other game between Magnolia and Barangay Ginebra, set at 7:20 p.m., also promises to be a thriller with the Kings aiming for their third-consecutive win.

Magnolia is seeking to improve its 5-5 record to stay in contention for an outright playoff spot. 

The Beverage Masters won by just three points (95-92) over the Kings in their previous meeting so Magnolia coach Siot Tanquincen is bracing for yet another heart-stopping finish.

“It’s going to be a dog fight just like any other Magnolia-Ginebra game,” offered Tanquingcen.

Ginebra coach Jong Uichico agreed. He just hopes his troops would continue to build on the things that have worked well for them.

“It has been the key to our success the past couple of games so we just have to build on it,” Uichico said. “And definitely, we must believe in having a defensive mindset.”

Pacquiao first, future second

WHILE the camp of Manny Pacquiao continues to talk about other possible major fights in the near future, David Diaz prefers not to look ahead and, instead, focus on the task at hand.

Solar via unanimous decision

THE Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) has a new home for the next three seasons.

The board of governors unanimously picked Solar Sports as the league’s new television coveror, commissioner Sonny Barrios announced Tuesday after their meeting at the PBA office in Libis, Quezon City.

AFTER two failed bids, Red Bull try once more to clinch the elusive win No. 8 when it faces Air21 in their scheduled rematch this afternoon at the Araneta Coliseum.

THE cream of country’s athletics crop will have their hands full against foreign entries in the 2008 Milo National Open track and field championships which kicks off tomorrow at the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila.

NOT even a credible performance by the Philippine wushu team in the 2007 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games will stop them from preparing doubly hard for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

NOT even a bum stomach could slow down Neriza Bautista’s superb performance.

The guest player scored a game-high 30 points in spite of a case of diarrhea as Adamson University dominated Ateneo, 25-7, 25-14, 23-25, 25-22, Tuesday in Game One of the best-of-three championship series of the Shakey’s V-League Season Five at The Arena in San Juan.

ASIAN Tour stalwart Artemio Murakami has earned his major debut after finishing as joint medalist in the US Open sectional qualifying in Japan on Monday.

My coorganizer in the Nike Elite Camp recently held in Laguna, Alex Compton, is one example on how to take school seriously.

Compton graduated from Ivy League school Cornell U, where he also played before playing in the Philippines.