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Coca-Cola’s amazing run will be put to test today as the
streaking Tigers collide with crowd-favorite Barangay
Ginebra in the main game of the Philippine Basketball
Association Philippine Cup at the Cuneta Astrodome in
Pasay City.
Owner of
a four-game winning streak that has kept the team in the
hunt for a possible quarterfinal seat, the Tigers (5-8)
meet the Kings (6-8) at 7:20 p.m. in what could be a
crucial match for both squads that are at the lower half
of the team standings.
“My
players are amazing. They are making me a great coach at
this point and hopefully it would continue because we
haven’t achieved anything yet,” said Tigers head coach
Binky Favis.
Since
acquiring Asi Taulava a couple of weeks ago from Talk ’N
Text, Coke has now won four of its last five games and
it’s not a secret that the six-foot-nine Filipino-Tongan
center’s rejuvenated play is making the Tigers fierce in
the tournament again.
“Asi is
complementing well with his teammates. He makes them
look good also at talagang nahahawa sila sa
ipinapakitang laro ni Asi,” Favis added.
Taulava,
a one-time Most Valuable Player, seems to fit well in
the system of Favis and is playing like a 20-year-old
with the energy he is exerting every night for Coke.
He
collected 32 points and 13 rebounds for the Tigers in
their 86-72 demolition of the Welcoat Dragons on Sunday
at the Big Dome.
They
will be facing an on-and-off Ginebra squad, which is
coming off a 115-100 upset win over sister team Magnolia
Beverage.
Jayjay
Helterbrand fired a career-high 34 points in that game
to help the team snap a two-game losing skid and get
back in the race for the quarterfinal seat.
With
their top scorer Mark Caguioa still groping for form,
Helterbrand has been carrying the scoring cudgels for
the team, while former University of the East tandem
Paul Artadi and Ronald Tubid are helping him out in the
backcourt.
“Ronald
and Paul are giving us the energy right now. They are
helping the team in many ways,” said Ginebra coach Jong
Uichico. Tubid scored 27 points against the Beverage
Masters, while Artadi contributed 10 off the bench.
In the
first game, Red Bull (8-5) tries to get back on track
and has the automatic semifinals berth in mind, when it
takes on cellar-dweller Welcoat Paints (3-11) at
4:40 p.m.
The
Barakos, currently in solo second behind Purefoods
(11-3), were shocked by Sta. Lucia Realty, 104-78, in
their last game. The Dragons are again in the verge of
becoming the first team to be eliminated.
Welcoat
enters the game with a seven-game losing streak and will
be playing minus tough rookie Ryan Arana who was slapped
a one-game suspension and fined P20,000 for a flagrant
foul on Taulava in their last game.
Standings—Purefoods 11-3, Red Bull 8-5, Talk ’N Text
8-6, Sta. Lucia 8-6, Alaska 8-6, Magnolia 7-7, Ginebra
6-8, Coca-Cola 5-8, Air21 5-9, Welcoat 3-11. |
