The Tropang Texters slug it out with the Energy in the 5:15 p.m. contest and are still heavily favored over the enemy despite the continued absence of superstars Ranidel De Ocampo and former MVPs Kelly Williams and Jimmy Alapag.
The trio has been given by management and coaching staff a total of three games to rest after serving the National team in the Fiba-Asia Qualifying in Wuhan, China, last month.
And this will be the final game that the Texters will be undermanned, so to speak, leaving the burden on some of their regulars like Ryan Reyes, Jason Castro and Ali Peek and Japeth Aguilar.
Aguilar sizzled for 27 points in his first game with the Texters two weeks ago but was held to just 12 in their second victory last week, the result of what coach Chot Reyes said was the scouting done on his 6-foot-9 forward.
Barako Bull is a team loaded with veterans but is a side many consider to be a tad slow for the powerhouses in the league.
Former two-time MVP Willie Miller is the backbone of the Energy, who upset Barangay Ginebra last week after getting big games from rookies Dylan Ababou and Allein Maliksi.
Though the story of the night would be on whether the Texters can gain a tie for the lead or not, focus cannot be taken away from the second game when the Elasto Painters try to bounce back from their first loss of the season and first setback since Paul Lee has started leading the squad.
Lee has been nothing short of phenomenal in just his first three games as a professional.
Reyes of the Texters was the latest opposing coach to heap praises on the stocky 6-foot former University of the East ace in the UAAP, who still got away with 17 points despite being ganged upon, practically, by Talk ’N Text the whole night last Friday.
“We made sure that we had at least one extra guy on Paul Lee,” Reyes said after a narrow escape against the Painters. “The fact that he still got away with (a team-high) 17 points says that he is a special player.”
That game against the B-Boys is slated at 7:30 p.m. with Meralco still expected to be without Mac Cardona and Sol Mercado, its two leading scorers who are out because of leg injuries.