Fiery Freeman beefs up Barako vs Alaska

ADAM Parada of Alaska will try to lead the Aces past Barako Bull and a returning import. AUGUST DELA CRUZ

BARAKO Bull will get extra veteran support in former Best Import Gabriel Freeman when it tries to finish off Alaska in Game 2 of their PBA Commissioner’s Cup quarterfinals series today at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The flamboyant Freeman, who guided San Miguel Beer to a championship in his maiden stint in the PBA, boarded a plane on short notice Monday in the United States in time for the Energy’s game at 7:30 p.m.

Measured previously at under 6-foot-6, Freeman will become the shortest import in the lot, but adds firepower for the Energy, who upset the Aces despite playing without an import three-fourths of the way Sunday.

Meralco, another longshot like Barako Bull, also tries to shove the door on fancied B-Meg when they battle in the 5:15 p.m. curtain-raiser.

The B-Boys led by 23 in the first quarter and then thwarted a B-Meg rally in the fourth by leaning on import Earl Barron and the unorthodox Mac-Mac Cardona.

That setback put the Llamados and coach Tim Cone within a loss of another early, painful exit in a tournament in which they either shared the lead or were solidly ensconced in second place for most of the elimination round.

“As long as we stay composed, we will be fine,” Barako Bull’s Willie Miller, a former two-time MVP, said after Sunday’s win that he and his fellow battle-tested veterans orchestrated for coach Junnel Baculi.

“They’ve been there, done that,” Baculi said. “I am in good hands with my (veteran) players. They know how to win playoff games.”

The addition of Freeman will certainly give the Energy a formidable presence in the middle against an Alaska team that has made a living this conference behind 7-foot giant Adam Parada.

Though Chukwinike Okosa, the Nigerian whom the Energy signed up to sub for Rodney White, finished scoreless in 11 minutes, the Barako still ran away with the win by playing composed on both ends.

Parada was the missing link, though, for Alaska last Sunday as LA Tenorio and Cyrus Baguio came away with their usual numbers.

Another Alaska big man, Jay-R Reyes, missed the game because of an injury.

In the first game, Cone should find an answer to Cardona fast, or it would be a safe bet that life would again be hard tonight for the Llamados.

Cardona hit all kinds of teardrop shots on Sunday—doing it in front of anyone from B-Meg, including import Denzel Bowles— in an 18-0 run that put the game away for Meralco midway in the fourth period.