MANILA, Philippines - Barangay Ginebra and Rain or Shine gun for a share of second place – within striking distance of frontrunner Talk n Text – as they battle in the final game of the PBA Governors Cup elimination round at the Araneta Coliseum today.
It’s a crucial match with the winner moving just a game behind the tournament leader and the loser having a lot of catching-up to do in the semifinal round where qualifiers carry over their elims (win-loss) records.
Talk n Text closed out its elims assignment with a pacesetting 6-2 card while Alaska Milk and Petron Blaze both finished a game behind at 5-3.
The Kings and the Elasto Painters also seek a 5-3 finish in their 7:45 p.m. faceoff.
Meralco (3-4) and Powerade (3-4) meet in the 5:30 p.m. curtain raiser with both out to end their season on a winning note.
Meralco is reactivitating Champ Oguchi in place of Tim Pickett for the game.
The Ginebra-RoS match promises to be a battle with an exciting showdown between imports Arizona Reid and Donald Sloan.
Reid has been the most consistent, considered by Alaska coach Tim Cone as “the benchmark import in the tourney.”
Sloan, meanwhile, dazzled the Ginebra fans with his 19-point second half explosion against Alaska Milk last Saturday. He ended up with a losing debut, though, as he struggled in the face of Jason Forte’s tough defense in their final offensive play.
Curiously, Rain or Shine also dropped its most recent game to Alaska, 83-88.
The semifinal round begins Friday.
Ginebra is likewise coming into the contest with a new recruit in forward KG Canaleta, who was traded for Willie Miller.
B-Meg, the team completing the semifinal cast, has also made a roster change, picking up Josh Urbiztondo from the unrestricted free agent pool.
“We’re preparing for next season. Jonas Villanueva is injured while Pong Escobal is going back to his original team (Shopinas which purchased Barako Bull). We’ll be left with only one point guard in Roger Yap,” said B-Meg top official Rene Pardo, who’s also the current league board chairman.
Pardo is also hopeful that Urbiztondo can help them in the Governors Cup semis.
B-Meg’s lead point guard now is new import Myron Allen who substituted for Darnell Hinson who had to rush home in the US to attend a child custody hearing.
“We seem to have got a good replacement. Myron is a natural point who’s quick and who can shoot,” said Pardo.