The two teams clash in a rematch of their classic PBA Commissioner’s Cup title playoff today with Talk N Text seeking vengeance while Red Bull hopes not only to keep its mastery of the PLDT ballclub but also stretch the record run it has established in its franchise history.
The twinbill at the Ynares Center in Antipolo also features Barangay Ginebra versus Shell at 7:30 p.m. after the Talk N Text-Red Bull tiff at 5:30.
Surviving the San Miguel Beermen, 75-74, in an overtime thriller last Sunday, the Thunder extended the team’s all-time best win streak to six games dating back to their conquest of the Phone Pals in the second conference finals.
Meanwhile, FedEx team manager Lito Alvarez decided not to pursue putting the Alaska-FedEx game last Nov. 8 under protest after the Commissioner’s Office slapped a two-game suspension on referees Franco Ilagan, Joey Calungcaguin and Renato Guevarra for mishandling the game.
Alvarez had planned to lodge a protest as the referees didn’t penalize Alaska coach Tim Cone for storming the court twice in the closing seconds of the game.
"This only goes to show that the commissioner is on top of the situation as far as improving the state of officiating in the league is concerned," said Alvarez. "To our team, that is more than enough."
After beating San Miguel, Red Bull coach Yeng Guiao thought they have overcome the fear of a jinx that usually follows a championship and are now yearning to keep on winning to get a good shot at a rare back-to-back title triumphs.
"We’re over the hump. We’ve overcome the fear of a slump after the championship and now enjoying a bright spot in the young history of the ballclub," said Guiao, whose team, this early, is on the threshold of the Selecta All-Filipino Cup playoffs with an unblemished 4-0 win-loss card.
But Guiao said their target is not just the playoffs but the No. 1 or the No. 2 spots which guarantee outright entry into the Final Four.
"Our objective is to break away from the rest since Coca-Cola is also winning its games. Malaking bagay ang No. 1 o No. 2 hindi ka na dadaan sa quarterfinals," said Guiao.
The short tourney awards the top two teams after the elims outright spots in the semifinals. The next four teams clash in two separate knockout games for the last two semis slots.
The Talk N Text-Red Bull rematch is an entirely different game from the two teams’ title showdown with the Pals now under a new coach and having two key additions in their regular rotations in Asi Taulava and Bong Alvarez.
But Guiao felt they still have what it takes to beat American coach Paul Woolpert and his team.
"Asi provides a big difference but I feel I have the proper personnel to match up with him. There’s Davonn Harp and Mick Pennisi. We won’t be intimidated by Asi," said Guiao.
PBA watchers now consider Red Bull a cinch for the top two as Red Bull swept its first four games against fancied teams Coca-Cola, Alaska, Sta. Lucia and San Miguel.
Coca-Cola, running second with a 4-1 slate, presses its own bid for the top two as it takes on Alaska Milk in a road game at the Lamberto Macias Sports Center in Dumaguete tomorrow.
Purefoods is at third with a 3-2 record followed by Talk N Text, Ginebra, Sta. Lucia and San Miguel at fourth with identical 2-2 marks.