W L
 Alaska 9 4
 San Miguel 8 5
 Rain or Shine 7 6
 Sta. Lucia 7 6
 Purefoods 7 7
 Talk ’N Text 6 6
 B’gay Ginebra 6 6
 Air21 6 7
 Coca-Cola 5 8
 Red Bull 3 9

GAME SUNDAY
(Singapore Indoor Stadium)

5 p.m.—San Miguel vs Talk ‘N Text

SINGAPORE—There’s no doubt that Filipinos in this island paradise are itching to get whatever little feel of home they can.

And there’s very little doubt that San Miguel and Talk ‘N Text could give them a game to remember, having arrived here both on a high and playing for a lot higher stakes in the KFC Philippine Cup.

With jockeying for berths in the playoffs of the season-opening tournament heating up, the Beermen and the Tropang Texters clash before an expected packed Singapore Indoor Stadium crowd at 5 p.m. Sunday.

All 10,700 tickets have been gobbled up as San Miguel tries to keep solo second place against a squad seen by many as one of the teams to beat in the tournament.

Both squads will be coming off impressive wins – the Beermen from a 98-78 destruction of Air21 and the Texters from a 104-82 demolition of defending champion Sta. Lucia – to keep solo leader Alaska within range.

“We’ll see if we can use the game (against the Realtors) are a springboard against San Miguel,” Talk ‘N Text coach Chot Reyes said.

The Beermen, though, will have to pull out a repeat win over the Texters without Marc Pingris, one of the many who helped immensely in the victory against the Express. Pingris failed to make the trip after suffering a sprained ankle against Air21.

“It will be tough playing such a strong team like Talk ‘N Text without a key man (in Pingris),” coach Siot Tanquingcen said, moments after the close to four-hour flight in a cramped plane from Manila.

Talk ‘N Text rookie Jason Castro will play here for the first time since leaving the Singapore Slingers after being drafted third overall by the Texters.

Castro, the three-time PBL MVP, ended a four-month relationship with the Slingers after the team had pulled out of the National Basketball League, an Australia-based outfit.

Also playing key roles for Reyes would be rookie Jared Dillinger, Jimmy Alapag, Ali Peek and Mac-Mac Cardona, the team’s leading scorer who was very vocal about being left out of the Philippine Team earlier in the month.

Tanquingcen, meanwhile, will have Dorian Pena, Dondon Hontiveros, Lordy Tugade and a very motivated Jay Washington at his disposal.

Washington, who was shipped out by Talk ‘N Text during Draft Day resulting in the acquisition of Castro for the Texters, played one of his finest games during the first meeting of these two teams.

The 6-foot-7 forward delivered 21 points and had 14 rebounds in that win.

Washington also led the Beermen against the Express, his 26 points and 15 boards proving unmatched.

Meanwhile, Purefoods, with three players combining for 76 points, outlasted Air21, 96-88, in an out-of-town game in Tacloban Saturday.

The scores:

PUREFOODS 96—Raymundo 27, Yap J. 26, Villanueva 23, Bugia 6, Robinson 6, Alonzo 4, Belga 2, Alvarez 2.

AIR21 88—David 22, Canaleta 13, Santos 12, Arboleda 9, De Ocampo 8, Quinahan 7, Kramer 6, Billones 5, Cruz 4, Intal 2.

Quarterscores: 20-19, 39-37, 63-67, 88-96.