CROWD FAVES BATTLE FOR OUTRIGHT SEMIS SLOT

CROWD FAVES BATTLE FOR OUTRIGHT SEMIS SLOT




Published on March 29, 2012
They make a good pair in the playoffs – a surefire hit at the tills.

For now, crowd-darlings Barangay Ginebra and B-Meg slug it out in a one-game playoff deciding which
of them gains early entry into the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Final Four.

They clash at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Cuneta Astrodome breaking their logjam at second place behind
Talk n Text at the close of the elims play.

The winner secures outright berth in the best-of-five semifinals while the loser settles for a slot
in the best-of-three quarters.

Ginebra caught up with B-Meg at 6-3 in winning its last three games. The Kings have gone on a roll
curiously after being walloped by the Llamados, 93-109, last March 11.

“It’s so good we finished strong in the elims. At least, we’ve got a shot at an outright semis
berth. We’ll do our best to pull it off,” said Ginebra coach Siot Tanquingcen.

It promises to be a battle with both determined to avoid going through the quarterfinals.

“It’s (the quarters) a best-of-three. Anything can happen there especially in this tournament
where anybody can beat anybody in any given night,” said B-Meg coach Tim Cone.

The Llamados also had a strong windup in the elims, emerging victorious in four of their last five
outings.

They got a crack at an outright Final Four passage in surviving the Powerade Tigers, 96-94, in a
fierce duel Sunday.

“We must seize it,” said Cone.

The Llamados are aching to do well in this tournament to erase the memory of their sorry downfall in
the Philippine Cup playoffs.

Beating Ginebra would be a big step towards achieving their aspiration.

The Kings, however, also look forward to marching on.

“Of course, mas malaki ang tsansa kung di ka na dadaan sa quarters,” said Tanquingcen. (SB)

Source: PBA.Ph