SLR vs Alaska in last of the death duels

Alaska Milk and Sta. Lucia Realty, squared up with two games apiece in the season-ending tourney, clash yet again tonight to dispute the last ticket to the Samsung PBA Reinforced Conference Final Four at the Araneta Coliseum tonight.

Willie Miller and Joey Mente figure in the final of the below 6-4 category of the Purefoods-Ginebra King of the Court one-on-one competition earlier in the day, fighting for the crown and the P150,000 prize that goes with it.

Miller and Mente take the floor at 6:30 p.m., preceding the 7 p.m. knockout match between Alaska and Sta. Lucia deciding which team battles San Miguel Beer for the Group A pennant.

Talk n Text and Coca-Cola collide in the Group B best-of-five finale with Phone Pal ace guard Jimmy Alapag a doubtful starter in Game One Sunday after suffering a fractured nose bridge on a flagrant foul by Jimwell Torion Wednesday.

Alapag underwent a 40-minute operation to have his nose fixed at the Medical City yesterday afternoon. He will be confined in the Mandaluyong hospital until Sunday and will likely wear a protective mask if ever he sees Wednesday.

Torion, meanwhile, faces possible stiff sanction in the aftermath of the incident Wednesday. He is to meet PBA commissioner Noli Eala today.

Rugged action seen in the Talk n Text-Red Bull Barako game is also expected in the rubbermatch between Alaska and Sta. Lucia.

The Aces hacked out a 95-84 win on an explosive windup Sunday to force the do-or-die game with the Realtors.

And one can’t fault the Aces to be optimistic of their chances now. For the record, the Aces have survived seven of eight knockout games this season. The Realtors, on the other hand, are 0-2 in do-or-die games this year.

"We’re playing another back-to-the-wall game but I don’t know why, we’ve been doing good in this kind of situation," said Alaska coach Tim Cone.

Sta. Lucia mentor Alfrancis Chua, meanwhile, feels he would need to get a good motivational tool to pump up his boys’ for this no-tomorrow setto. — Nelson Beltran