Hotshots, T. Texters begin final four duel Wednesday
The Final Four of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup pitting defending champion Purefoods and Talk ‘N Text that is so evenly matched gets off the ground today at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Game time is 7 p.m. with no team enjoying an advantage after the Star Hotshots and the Tropang Texters needed three overtimes to decide their only meeting here, a 118-117 victory by Purefoods in Davao City.
From the quality of imports and the local support, experts predict the best-of-five series going the distance.
Meanwhile, San Miguel Beer cornerstone June Mar Fajardo remained on track for a second MVP award despite the Beermen’s early exit in the Commissioner’s Cup.
The 6-foot-10 slotman held a hefty lead over Barangay Ginebra’s 7-foot Greg Slaughter in the statistical points race with an average of 26.2 per game after a total of 33 games played in the Philippine and Commissioner’s Cups.
Slaughter, whose Gin Kings bowed out in the quarterfinals, has a 22.4 average with Arwind Santos of San Miguel, the MVP in 2013, in third with 20.8 points.
Jason Castro of Talk ‘N Text, which is in the Final Four, has an average of 20.7 with Calvin Abueva of Alaska rounding out the Top Five with an average of 20.1
Incidentally, Fajardo also led the SP race for the Best Player of the Conference award in the Commissioner’s Cup after an average of 33.9 points built around his league leading 12.6 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game.
READ: June Mar Fajardo leads BPC race after PBA Comm’s Cup elims
Castro was second with 32.2, while Rain or Shine superstar guard Paul Lee was a close third at 32.
Slaughter was fourth and Terrence Romeo fifth and because San Miguel, Ginebra and Globalport have already taken to the door, the award could go down as a neck-and-neck race between Lee and Castro.
Denzel Bowles of Purefoods held a narrow lead over KIA Motors behemoth PJ Ramos in the Best Import race after finishing with an average of 59.8 SPs in just five games. Bowles came in to replace the fired Daniel Orton.
Ramos was the best scorer and rebounder among reinforcements after ending his first PBA stint with norms of 35.9 and 21.2, respectively.
With the Carnival again given the privilege of tapping an import of unlimited height, Ramos will be back for the Governors’ Cup where imports of the top eight teams will be just 6-foot-5.
In a related development, Ginebra has shipped former University of Santo Tomas star Dylan Ababou and James Forrester for Barako Bull’s first round pick in the 2015 Draft.
READ: Ginebra sends Ababou, Forrester to Barako Bull for 2015 draft pick
