Realtors face Tigers minus key players

MANILA, Philippines - Sta. Lucia Realty hopes to buck the absence of two key players in Kelly Williams and Bitoy Omolon as it faces Coca-Cola in a crucial outing in the Motolite PBA Fiesta Conference at the Araneta Coliseum tonight.

Talk n Text parades a new import in Gary Forbes as the Tropang Texters tangle with the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in the day’s other game.

Meanwhile, Burger King’s Arwind Santos was named Motolite-Accel Player of the Week for the period April 29-May 3 for his sterling games against Barako Bull and Alaska Thursday and Sunday, respectively. He averaged 26.5 points in those games.

The Realtors tackle the Tigers at 7:30 p.m., hoping to bounce back from 91-93 heartbreaker against the Purefoods Giants Friday and regain solo second place behind the pacesetting San Miguel Beermen.

“We have tough assignments in our last four games and we’re undermanned, but we’re still looking to make the top two,” said Sta. Lucia coach Boyet Fernandez.

“We know it’s hard to compete even if we’re complete because of the tough competition in this league. Minus Kelly and Bitoy, I just challenged the boys to step up and pick up the slack,” Fernandez added.

Williams, with a blood disorder problem, was scheduled for another check up and laboratory test at the Asian Hospital yesterday afternoon. He’s been in sickbay since after the first game of the All-Star festivities in Victorias, Negros Occidental.

Omolon, on the other hand, is nursing chickenpox.

“We have to neutralize Anthony Johnson and it will be a big factor if they continue to miss Kelly Williams,” said Coca-Cola coach Kenneth Duremdes, who curiously is also out with sore eyes.

Johnson, among the most best performing imports in the tourney, will be up against his former team, which cut him at midstream in the 2006 Fiesta Conference.

Forbes, a Panamanian national team mainstay who took over from Tiras Wade, faces Jai Lewis in his debut in the local pro league. He has practiced with the Texters thrice since arriving in the country Sunday night.

“He looks okay. He looks stronger than Wade and he can play different positions,” said TnT assistant team manager Virgil Villavicencio.

The Texters are out to arrest a two-game skid in a bid to move back in the upper half of the chart. They are currently at sixth with an even 5-5 card, half-game behind the Elasto Painters and the Burger King Giants at 6-5.