Tigers parade new import vs Gin Kings

aCoca-Cola introduces a new import in former Washington State standout Jeff Varem as the Tigers take on the Barangay Ginebra Kings in the Talk n Text PBA Philippine Cup at the Araneta Coliseum today.

Coke coach Binky Favis said letting go of Anthony Johnson was a hard decision they had to make.

"Very tough on our part because we’d grown to love Anthony. But we had to do it because we need an inside presence. As much as Anthony is very talented, we’re having a hard time matching up with the other teams. We lacked the ceiling," said Favis.

Varem is a 240-pound Nigerian native who was officially measured at a shade under the tourney’s maximum ceiling of 6-foot-6.

"He is highly-touted in defense. But since he wants to ultimately make it to the NBA, he’s also trying to play around the perimeter," said Favis of his new import.

Whether the judgment call is right will be known starting today when the Tigers parade Varem against the Ginebra Kings in their 4:35 p.m. tussle.

Alaska Milk and Talk n Text clash in the day’s other game at 7:20 p.m.

Ginebra and Alaska are aiming to regain a share of the lead with Red Bull at 8-2.

In what would turn out to be his farewell game in the local pro league, Johnson churned out a game-high 28 points that went with 18 rebounds and four assists in leading Coke to a 123-111 shootout with Air21 last Friday.

Meanwhile, Air21 pounded a James Yap-less Purefoods Tender Juicy and fashioned out a 102-89 rout to improve its win-loss slate to 6-3 at The Arena in San Juan last night.

Already without injured players Marc Pingris and Jun Limpot, the Giants were further depleted with Yap skipping the game to attend to his celebrity wife Kris Aquino who gave birth to their first child at the Makati Medical Center. The Giants absorbed their seventh loss against three wins.