Hot Texters test Llamados' tough defense

MANILA, Philippines - Talk n Text and B-MEG Derby Ace, two teams in hot pursuit of league leader San Miguel Beer, clash in an exciting showdown kicking off their campaign in the second round of the PBA Fiesta Conference elimination phase at the Araneta Coliseum today.

It’s a duel between a team on a run with its tremendous firepower against a squad on a streak noted for its superb defensive skills.

They play at 7:30 p.m. after the 5 p.m. showdown between Alaska Milk and Coca-Cola.

“It’s a classic defense versus offense matchup. We’ll see who will prevail,” said Talk n Text coach Chot Reyes.

“Our defense will be put to a test against a fluid offensive machine. It would be a disaster if we challenge them into a shootout,” said Derby Ace coach Ryan Gregorio.

“We intend to disrupt their rhythm by employing our lockdown defense which has given us tremendous boost this conference despite missing the services of Kerby Raymundo,” Gregorio added.

The Tropang Texters finished a strong second behind the Beermen in the first round of the elims, winning seven of nine games with an average of 103.3 points an outing.

The Llamados, meanwhile, ended up just a game behind the Texters at 6-3 while giving away only 77 points per game.

The Texters have won all of their last six assignments, and they’re only expected to get better once Kelly Williams and Ryan Reyes get to fully adapt to their new team.

“Talk n Text is a major power in the league. Add Kelly and Ryan without losing any major player, and they have become a super power that no PBA team can match in terms of roster strength. They are very deep in every position. Every team that they play against will be considered as virtual underdogs,” said Gregorio.

“That’s an added motivation for us. Our goal is to secure a spot in the top 5. A victory will push us closer to the league leader (San Miguel at 9-1),” Gregorio added.

The other game pits two teams both out to improve their records in the middle of the chart. Alaska is at 5-4 while Coca-Cola is at 4-6.

“We want to see if we can follow up the positive things we established in our last game - our defense, rebounding and execution down the stretch. We need to play tighter on defense and more disciplined basketball as the second round begins,” said Alaska coach Tim Cone.

The American Alaska mentor refused to comment on Jeffrey Cariaso’s tirades, saying they want to stay focused on the game.

On Monday, Cariaso announced his retirement at the end of the season and expressed hope of being given a chance to finish his career on a good note.

“I’m hoping that we can find a way to arrest our losing skid. We’re not even thinking about the other remaining games. We’re focused on just this one,” said Coca-Cola coach Bo Perasol.