Realtors, Panthers face separate rivals

Sta. Lucia Realty and Pop Cola, the hottest teams in the PBA at the moment, take on separate rivals today, seeking to keep their 1-2 position in the season-ending Governors Cup.

The Realtors, the remaining team with a clean slate nearly four weeks into the tournament, and the Panthers, unbeaten in their last four games, clash with the Barangay Ginebra Kings and the Shell Turbo Chargers, respectively, at the Araneta Coliseum.

Alaska Milk and Tanduay Rhum, the two teams at the rear-end of the pack, depart for Cebu where they collide in a road game at the Cebu Coliseum at 4 p.m. tomorrow.

The two teams are on an alarming skid but may well figure in an exciting tiff with Alaska parading a new import in Ron Riley while Tanduay reactivating from the injured list two key players in Eric Menk and Jeffrey Cariaso.

Riley, the 27-year-old product of Arizona State University who had stints with the Detroit Pistons and the Indiana Pacers in the NBA before drifting with the Rockford Lightning in the CBA, takes the spot of Dexter Boney as the Aces hope to salvage a slot in the quarterfinals. Alaska is winless in five games so far.

Unbeaten in five games is Sta. Lucia which practically assures itself of a spot in the next round with another victory in its game versus Ginebra at 7:10 p.m. tonight.

The Realtors have never enjoyed such a fine start in a tournament since Rob Parker and Kwan Johnson spearheaded their campaign in the Commissioner’s Cup two years ago. They narrowly missed the finals then, losing to the San Miguel Beermen in their best-of-five semis playoff.

Curiously, one of the key Sta. Lucia players then was Jun Limpot – the Realtors’ main focus on defense in today’s game.

Limpot has a tough task at hand as he faces Marlou Aquino and Dennis Espino, two big men who have been playing very well.