Photo by August dela Cruz
MANILA, Philippines—Top-ranked B-Meg tries to avoid becoming the third No. 1 team to get the boot from the lowest seed in the PBA Philippine Cup quarterfinal playoffs when the Llamados tangle with the Powerade Tigers Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Gametime is 6 p.m. with the winner sealing a clash with the victor of the Rain or Shine-Barangay Ginebra best-of-three series which the Elasto Painters currently lead, 1-0, after an epic, come-from-behind triumph on Friday.
The Tigers go into the match brimming with confidence after ending the Llamados’ eight-game winning streak Wednesday with a 97-88 win.
“I don’t think that there is any doubt in the minds of our players that we can compete,” said Powerade coach Bo Perasol after the impressive win.
“We know that we can match up with any team,” Perasol added. “All we did was get a knockout game and who knows? But we like our chances.”
Gary David, the tournament’s leading scorer, scored all of his 32 points in the first three periods and gave the Tigers the moving room they needed to hold off the Llamados in the fourth.
And when the payoff frame came, it was the turn of some of the team’s lesser lights, like rookie Marcio Lassiter, to shine and frustrate B-Meg and coach Tim Cone.
“With the presence of Gary, I think we can be formidable,” Perasol said.
The Tigers are seeing action in their first quarterfinal series in the last eight conferences and are making the most out of it.
With their chances now at 50-50, Powerade can have this match working both ways as far as its players are concerned.
While the Tigers played with little pressure with very few giving them the chance to forge a decider, Powerade could come up a little tight this time knowing the enormity of the situation.
And it would really be up to a veteran like David to carry the team through.
Talk ‘N Text, the No. 2 seed, became the first semifinalist by nipping Barako Bull, 81-79, also Wednesday.
The Tropang Texters await the survivor of the Petron Blaze-Meralco series which the Boosters led after a 91-84 decision Friday.
Rain or Shine got a head start in its battle against Barangay Ginebra for a semifinal slot Friday night after scoring 43 fourth quarter points in a 112-105 overtime victory at the Araneta Coliseum.
It was a huge comeback for the Elasto Painters, who grabbed the lead on a three-pointer by Jeff Chan late in the game despite trailing by 17 with nine minutes left in regulation.
It even did not matter that the Kings actually led the game at the buzzer on a Willie Wilson putback.
“I felt that at that time, even after that last shot by Wilson, we already had momentum,” Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao told reporters.
Super rookie Paul Lee also shone in the fourth quarter of that comeback.
“We came back from the jaws of hell,” Guiao said. “I thought it was a lost game [early in the fourth]. For a young team, we played with a lot of maturity in this game.
“I don’t know what the probabilities are (of clinching the series),” added Guiao. “But I am sure that it’s more than 50 percent. Hopefully, we can win one more game because Ginebra is going to come back, I’m sure.”
Alex Cabagnot, meanwhile, nailed crucial four-point plays as Petron Blaze beat Meralco, 91-84, also Friday for a 1-0 lead in their own quarterfinal series.