KINGS, LLAMADOS CLASH IN DUEL OF CROWD DARLINGS

KINGS, LLAMADOS CLASH IN DUEL OF CROWD DARLINGS
Published on March 10, 2012

Barangay Ginebra and B-Meg fight to improve their spots in the upper half of the chart in a duel of crowd darlings at the Smart Araneta Coliseum Sunday.

The Kings and the Llamados square off at 6:30 p.m. with the winner (4-2) closing in on the pacesetting Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters (4-1) entering the homestretch of the short elimination phase of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup.

Denzel Bowles and his B-Meg teammates are well-rested coming off a week-long break after repulsing the Air21 Express, 88-79, on the road in Tacloban City.

The Kings, on the other hand, play a third game in eight days, hoping to bounce back from a sorry 80-89 loss to the Meralco Bolts Wednesday.

“We have to execute better so that we get better looks at the basket. We shot poorly the last time,” said Barangay Ginebra head coach Siot Tanquingcen.

The Bolts pounced on the Kings as Jackson Vroman sat out long minutes in the second half due to foul trouble, building a huge 18-point lead it used as cushion in the face of the Kings' famed never-say-die endgame chase.

Meralco import Earl Barron also got into foul trouble early but coped with the situation, leading the Bolts to their second win in six starts in the mid-season tourney.

Vroman vowed to redeem himself against B-Meg.

For Tanquingcen, Vroman didn’t do that bad against Meralco. “We played poorly as a team – too many turnovers and bad shots,” said the Ginebra coach.

The Kings hit a dismal .363 from the floor and Meralco scored 20 turnover points to Ginebra’s 13.

Vroman finished with 19 points, 14 rebounds and four shotblocks. In his PBA debut against Powerade, the 6-10 NBA veteran compiled 19 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, three steals and five blocks in 35 minutes as the Kings prevailed, 105-96.

Against B-Meg, Vroman will be ranged against a young, talented import in Bowles.

Bowles logged 27 points, nine rebounds and six assists as the Llamados turned back the Express in their out-of-town tussle in Tacloban.

Focus will also be on Barangay Ginebra’s Kerby Raymundo and B-Meg’s JC Intal who are facing their former teams for the first time since being moved in a three-way deal with Barako Bull prior to the start of the conference. (SB)

Source: PBA.ph