Ex-Hawk to boost Petron bid for final

Manila, Philippines - With a sure seat in the semifinals, Petron Blaze now sets its sights on the finals.

The Boosters close out their elimination-round stint versus the Powerade Tigers today at the Araneta Coliseum hoping to step up their drive in a bid to improve the league-best record they’re carrying over to the PBA Governors Cup semis.

They take a shot at topping the elims with a 6-2 win-loss mark while parading a new import in former Atlanta Hawk Anthony Grundy.

“The format calls for a team to win as many as it can. We’ll go hard to end the elims on a streak. We want to keep our momentum going to the next round,” said Petron coach Ato Agustin.

Agustin and his troops take on a Powerade team fighting for life in their 7:45 p.m. faceoff.

“It’s a must-win situation and we are up against the best opponent. What an apt way to prove that we can compete with the elite,” said Powerade coach Bo Perasol.

B-Meg likewise fights for survival in tangling with also-run Air21 at 5:30 p.m.

The Boosters are in high spirits coming off three straight wins, including their 101-96 upset of the Talk n Text Tropang Texters while playing without an import Saturday at the Big Dome.

Agustin said Grundy inspired the team even more with what he showed in practice yesterday.

“He looks good. He defends well and has a good shooting as a two-guard. He hustles a lot,” said Agustin of their new find who took over from Jeremy Wise who suffered a meniscal tear versus B-Meg last July 6.

“Another good thing is that the two know each other. Jeremy advised our new import on what we need,” said Agustin.

Wise is now in crutches, having undergone arthroscopic surgery under doctor Raul Canlas. He flies home Tuesday.