TNT, San Mig gun for No. 1
Talk ‘N Text and San Mig Coffee try to keep in step with each other in the heated race for the No. 1 spot when they clash with struggling foes today in the PBA Governors’ Cup eliminations at Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay.
Tied for the lead together with idle Barangay Ginebra at 4-1, the Tropang Texters and the Grand Slam-seeking Mixers try to inch closer toward the top ranking in the playoffs—and the first of four twice-to-beat privileges in the quarterfinals.
The Texters take the floor first at 5:45 p.m., parading a third import in old hand Paul Harris against hard-luck Globalport before the Mixers try to add to Alaska’s woes at 8 p.m.
Talk ‘N Text has managed to stay on top despite import woes, letting go of Rodney Carney even after going 3-0 with him and opting for the smaller yet very effective Harris.
Listed at just 6 feet 4 and having steered the Texters to the 2011 Commissioner’s Cup, Harris will be ranged against beefier opposition, starting with Dior Lowhorn today.
Lowhorn came in for the Batang Pier three games into their campaign here and has worked hard in the last two games without being rewarded with a win.
In both instances, the Batang Pier blew commanding first-half leads against powerhouses San Mig Coffee and San Miguel Beer and eventually lost. Globalport needs to win at least three of its last four games to avoid complications in advancing to the playoffs.
Wins by the Mixers and the Texters will mean outright passage into the quarterfinals. In this format, though, finishing in the top four in the standings is of utmost importance.
The top four get twice-to-beat privileges against the next four qualifiers. The bottom two teams will get the boot.
San Mig has won its last three games and is looking quite invincible at the moment. The Mixers are also installed as the solid picks against Alaska, which will be coming into this game fresh from an outing it would like to forget as soon as it can.
The Aces were blown off the court by Rain or Shine on Wednesday to the tune of 123-72, a 51-point massacre that stands as the best and worst margin of victory for both franchises.
If at all, new Alaska coach Alex Compton got his starters and import Henry Walker to rest for majority of the second half on Wednesday and they could come in fresh as daisies against the red-hot Mixers.
