ALASKA and San Miguel Beer try to keep their hold of the top 2 spots as they face dangerous foes on Friday in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Aces and the Beermen are currently tied for the top spot with identical 7-1 win-loss records and a win will put them closer to automatic semifinal seats.
Alaska meets NLEX at 4:15 p.m., while San Miguel Beer clashes with Meralco at 7 p.m.
The Road Warriors (3-5) and the Bolts (4-4) are coming off disappointing losses, with NLEX dropping a close 95-93 decision to Rain or Shine and Meralco yielding a 77-74 result to defending champion Purefoods.
The Beermen had an easy assignment the last time out, blasting GlobalPort, 95-69, for its fourth straight victory that allowed them to tie the Aces for the lead.
“I told the players we need to win two of our last three games to get into the top 2. We have big hurdles ahead of us,” San Miguel Beer Head Coach Leo Austria said. After NLEX, the Beermen still have Talk ‘N Text and Blackwater in their schedule.
San Miguel was unforgiving against Batang Pier but Austria knows the Bolts are out to bounce back from a disappointing loss and stay on course for a possible twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals.
Meralco is at the middle of the pack with a 4-4 record and the Bolts of Head Coach Norman Black need to win their last three games, including against the Beermen, to stay in the hunt for the twice-to-beat edge in the next phase. After San Miguel Beer, Meralco will battle Kia and GlobalPort.
Black said the game against the Beermen will be a big test for the squad especially for his big men as they try to contain reigning Most Valuable Player June Mar (Fajardo), who was dominant in the the team’s four-game winning streak.
In the opener, the Aces also gun for their eight win in nine games as they face the skidding NLEX, which is clinging on the ninth spot with a 3-5, just half a game ahead of Barako Bull (3-6) for No. 10 spot.
Alaska enters the game fresh as the Aces last see action on November 22, beating Batang Pier, 77-74, in Cagayan de Oro City.
The wards of Head Coach Boyet Fernandez need to sweep their last three assignments to get the advantage in the next round.
After the Beermen, NLEX has Barako Bull (3-6) and Kia (1-8) as its next two assignments but the Road Warriors must hope that other teams in the middle of the pact start to lose also.
Joel Orellana