Pals wary of Purefoods giant strides

Talk n Text coach Derrick Pumaren expects a different Purefoods team in their second meeting in the season today at the Araneta Coliseum.

The Giants are back in fighting form three weeks into the season and could give the Phone Pals trouble in their rematch in the Talk n Text PBA Philippine Cup classification round.

Coming off weeks of training abroad, the Pals opened their campaign in the tourney with a 108-99 whipping of an off-form Purefoods team on Oct. 4.

The Giants lost badly their next game to the Barangay Ginebra Kings but have since got back on track, winning two of their next three games.

"We’re playing an entirely different Purefoods team now. This team is now in sync," said Pumaren of the reigning champions who gained a piece of fifth place following a 100-96 victory over the erstwhile unbeaten Sta. Lucia Realtors in La Union Saturday.

Sta. Lucia collides with Red Bull in the day’s other game. The two teams are currently tied at second place, half game behind the front-running TnT squad (4-1).

Meanwhile, Barangay Ginebra and Coca-Cola depart for Cabagan, Isabela to play at the Josefina Albano Sports Center at 6 p.m. tomorrow.

Two teams have bared chinks on Ginebra’s armor with the Red Bull Kings and the San Miguel Beermen dealing the Kings sorry losses in their last two outings.

And Coca-Cola won’t be a pushover against Ginebra after the Tigers claimed upset win over the Bulls and the Giants.

The Kings’ last two games drew huge crowd at the Big Dome and at the Cuneta Astrodome. PBA fans are again expected to troop to the Cubao venue as the reigning champions and three tough contenders mix it up tonight.

Red Bull is playing its first game following Lordy Tugade’s transfer to San Miguel. Expected to gain more playing time on Tugade’s exit are Larry Fonacier and Cyrus Baguio.

Fonacier and Baguio already played extended minutes in their last game against Ginebra with Tugade nursing an injury while Junthy Valenzuela served a one-game suspension.

Fonacier and Baguio proved up to the task as Red Bull stunned Ginebra, 84-79, last Oct. 15.

"Despite our depleted lineup, we really felt we had a good chance to beat Ginebra. I’m not surprised we won because I know what these guys are capable of doing," said Red Bull coach Yeng Guiao then.

"We were frustrated with the Coke game. We felt bad and we thought the best way to redeem ourselves for the Coke loss is to beat Ginebra," Guiao added.