Beermen test Aces; Bolts face Energy

SAN MIGUEL BEER’S Sol Mercado (right) and Barako Bull’s Jeric Fortuna square off against separate foes as the Governors’ Cup starts today. AUGUST DELA CRUZ

MANILA, Philippines — Powerhouse San Miguel Beer squares off with Alaska Sunday in the main game of an opening twinbill of the season-ending PBA Governors’ Cup at Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao.

Game time is 5:15 p.m. with the Aces parading the highly touted Bill Walker and the Beermen leaning on another National Basketball Association veteran in Reggie Williams.

Walker and Williams reportedly showed top forms in the exhibition matches, and with their local lineups among the most solid in the tournament, the Aces and the Beermen are expected to be among the teams to beat.

Meanwhile, Barako Bull plays its first official game with new coach Siot Tanquingcen in the 3 p.m. contest against Meralco with the Energy to be reinforced by a second generation PBA import in Eric Wise, son of the bull-strong Francois.

Terrence Williams, another NBA veteran who was one of the most sought after imports in this conference, will be seeing action for the Bolts.

A certified scorer, Meralco’s Williams has made most pundits tag him as the yardstick in the tournament, hitting 10 triples in a 110-103 win over Alaska in a fight-marred game last week.

Williams, who was the 11th overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft by Brooklyn, finished with 37 points in that game.

Reports, though, said that he can be uncoachable at times, though Meralco is willing to take the risk just to be able to go deep in the playoffs this time.

The Bolts blew a 1-0 lead in a quarterfinal series for the third straight time in the Commissioner’s Cup won by San Mig Coffee, bowing in the last two games to Rain or Shine.

Tanquingcen will coach again after stints with San Miguel Beer and Barangay Ginebra, where he picked up three PBA titles.

And unlike in his previous teams where he had all the materials he needed, Barako Bull lacks the speed that is very much staple in PBA teams these days, with his lineup laden with veterans who have seen better years.

Barako Bull brought up the rear in team defense in the Commissioner’s Cup after yielding 99.4 points a game under Bong Ramos.

The Energy won just two of nine games and got the boot after the elimination round together with Globalport.

The Energy, however, have shown marked improvement under Tanquingcen, going 2-1 in tuneup matches. Barako Bull beat Rain or Shine, 91-83, and the Batang Pier, 90-75, with its only loss coming at the hands of the Aces, 78-76.