INQUIRER Sports

GAMES SUNDAY (Cuneta Astrodome)
4:30 p.m.—Air21 vs Magnolia
6:50 p.m.—Brgy. Ginebra vs Red Bull

LISTENING FROM SOMEONE WHO KNOWS HOW TO GET IT DONE, it seems that both semifinal series in the Smart Fiesta Cup are even-steven, save for the series opener for elimination round topnotcher Air21 Express, who will be without the Steven that helped them get this far.

“Historically, the top two teams, those who have been waiting, have the advantage,” Tim Cone, coach of the deposed champion Alaska Aces, told the Inquirer in an interview yesterday. “We will see in these series if that still holds true.

“The commentary is that Air21 and Red Bull are well rested and ready to go. Magnolia and (Barangay) Ginebra, meanwhile, have the momentum (coming from the quarterfinals),” Cone added. “It really comes out to be even.”

But the Express, who made the Final Four outright for the first time in franchise history, will be opening up against Magnolia in the 4:30 p.m. game at the Cuneta Astrodome with a severe handicap.

Steven Thomas will not be around to help the Express sustain their magnificent elimination round form by trying his luck with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the National Basketball Association. He will be back tomorrow at the soonest.

And that would mean that the Express will not have his intimidating 6-foot-9 presence underneath, neither will they have his league-leading 23.4 points a game average nor his 16.5 rebounds a night.

“We’ve made adjustments on the defensive end,” coach Bo Perasol said Friday. “Good thing is that this is a long series. We have the time to do all the adjustments (if we trail 0-1) after Game 1.”

The Gin Kings start their separate best-of-seven series with No. 2 seed Red Bull in the 6:50 p.m. contest, one which Ginebra coach Jong Uichico said would “go to the max” and one that should boil down into yet another classic that can be added to the pages of an intense rivalry between the two squads.

“My experience against coach Yeng (Guiao), even while I was still with San Miguel was that every series has gone to the max,” Uichico said Wednesday night after sweeping the Sta. Lucia Realtors in their quarterfinal match-up.

“It will be a tough battle because coach Yeng prepares his team so well.”

Adam Parada, Red Bull’s efficient 7-foot giant, will be the backbone of the Barako’s game on both ends, with the offense to be anchored on the electrifying Cyrus Baguio and a host of under-rated locals whom Guiao has managed to make stand out.

And it is no secret that the key to stopping the Barako would be to contain the contributions of Parada, who can score, grab rebounds, pass and defend.

To provide an interesting sidelight to this series would be how Chris Alexander, also a versatile 7-footer, plays Parada and if he can control the paint the way he did in the Sta. Lucia series last week.

The Kings’ local crew will be spearheaded by the net-scorching Mark Caguioa, easily the most prolific local offensively in this tournament.

Amal McCaskill is expected to have a field day with Thomas out for Game 1, and the braided 6-foot-10 import exuded a lot of confidence after their series-clinching win over the Coca-Cola Tigers on Friday.

“We feel we can win every game we play,” McCaskill, after shooting 18 points and grabbing 19 rebounds in a 76-60 win, said.

Lordy Tugade and Dondon Hontiveros will also be sources of headaches for Perasol, who said that he plans to rotate as many as four men on McCaskill to negate their disadvantage of not having Thomas for Sunday.

For offense, the Express will lean on the explosive Arwind Santos, KG Canaleta, Ranidel de Ocampo and Wynne Arboleda.

An added problem for the Express is if Magnolia superstar Danny Seigle manages to suit up for the Beverage Masters Sunday.