Gregorio, Llamados meet again

MANILA—Defending champion Derby Ace tries to get out of a rut when it faces Meralco Wednesday night—when the Llamados play their former coach for the first time—even as Talk ‘N Text shoots for the solo PBA Philippine Cup lead at the Cuneta Astrodome.   Game time is 7:30 p.m. with coach Ryan Gregorio seeking to snap a two-game slide for his Bolts and keep his former team winless just after the Tropang Texters try to claim a fourth straight victim in the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters at 5 p.m.   The Llamados have been playing without their three best big men because of injuries, struggling big time with opposing teams’ defenses focusing on hurting reigning MVP James Yap.   Meralco will again have the advantage in the big man department with Asi Taulava there, but of all the teams that played Derby Ace thus far, it could be safe to say that the Bolts are their best chance to snap out of their slide   Sophomore forward Rico Maierhofer has been left to man the slot for the Llamados, who won this tournament with a four-game sweep of Alaska last season, with Don Allado and Rommel Adducul there as back-ups.   Aside from Taulava, Mac Cardona will be there to carry the offensive load for the Bolts, who opened the tournament with a 73-72 victory over Barangay Ginebra before losing their next two games to seasoned squads.   Yap has been having a hard time this conference, not just because of a face mask he has been wearing to protect an injured nose.   Held to just eight points in a 69-77 loss to Air21 last Saturday, the Derby Ace gunslinger has had to face defenses that don’t need to deal with absent teammates Kerby Raymundo, Marc Pingris and Rafi Reavis.   Talk ‘N Text, meanwhile, will be coming off a victory where coach Chot Reyes said his Texters played “stupid basketball.”   “I will certainly get in the faces of my players,” Reyes had said Wednesday last week after almost squandering a 24-point first half lead to win, 92-84, over Meralco. “We cannot survive playing (second) halves like this one.” Photo by Celest Flores