Ginebra hopes to extend its winning streak; Meralco eyes a bounce-back game against Barako Bull

Meralco eyes a bounce-back game while Barangay Ginebra San Miguel hopes to extend its winning streak to five as they battle separate foes in the crucial double-header of the 2013 PBA Philippine Cup on Friday at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum.

The Bolts face Barako Bull in the opener at 4:15 p.m. while the Kings entangle with Air 21 in the main tiff at 6:30 p.m.

Ginebra and Meralco are tied in the standings at 6-6 and they try to stay in the hunt for a top four finish after the elimination phase.

Their opponents are in a must-situation with the Express clinging on the No. 8 spot with 4-8 mark while the Energy Cola are a shade behind with 3-8.


“The game tomorrow is very important for us. ‘Yung mindset kailangan pang-playoff kasi sila rin ganoon,” said Kings mentor Siot Tanquingcen.

“Maganda rin nilalaro ng Air21. Breaks of the game lang sa end game kaya natatalo. Dapat focus kami sa execution ng offense at defense,” he added.




Express coach Franz Pumaren knows Ginebra is on a roll and they need to bring their best game to stand a chance.

“Crucial game for us. We are playing a team on a winning streak. We need everybody to contribute, stay focus and stick to our game plan because the crowd will be a big factor,” said Pumaren.

The Air 21-Ginebra encounter marks the first time Mike Cortez will be facing his former team since he was traded to the Express for big man Yousef Taha.

In the opener, the Bolts try to bounce back from an 88-85 defeat at the hands of Alaska with a victory over the Energy Cola of coach Bong Ramos.

“We didn’t close out a close game the way we wanted to against Alaska. Another situation must be corrected. We will persevere. We want to bounce back strong after a tough loss,” said Meralco mentor Ryan Gregorio.
-InterAKTV

air 21 express , barako bull , barangay ginebra san miguel , meralco bolts

Talk ‘N Text assured itself of a playoff after winning from Air 21

Talk ‘N Text assured itself of a playoff for an automatic semifinal seat after nipping Air21, 100-94, in the 2013 PBA Philippine Cup Sunday at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum.

The Tropang Texters needed big plays down the stretch to deny the Express from coming back in the game. They booked at least a tie for one of the top two spots with a league-leading 10-2 win-loss mark. The first and second place qualifiers enjoy twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals.

Jimmy Alapag fired 18 points and dished out six assists while Jayson Castro and Ranidel de Ocampo each had 16 points for the defending champions, who were challenged by the pesky Air 21 side to the hilt.

“Credit to Air21. They played us tough,” said Talk ‘N Text head coach Norman Black, who sent the Express to their third straight loss for a 4-8 mark.

“At the start of the season, the goal is to get into the top two spots and we accomplished that today at least for a playoff. Now the tough road begins. We play Petron next and Ginebra.”

Mike Cortez paced Air 21 with 23 points to go along with his nine rebounds, while James Sena and Nino Canaleta added 18 and 13 points, respectively.

Cortez, Canaleta and Sena were responsible for keeping the Express in the game, combining for 19 points in the third quarter as they trailed by just one point, 70-69, entering the fourth quarter.

They even took the lead at 75-74 on Sena’s basket before Talk ‘N Text responded with an 8-2 assault to take an 82-77 spread.

Renren Ritualo’s three-pointer pushed Air 21 within three points, 88-85. But Kelly Williams hit two free throws and Alapag hit a decisive three-poiinter for a 93-85 cushion with 3:47 remaining to take the game for good.

“Jimmy came into the game with a lot of energy. He’s just being himself tonight,” said Black.

The scores:

TALK N’ TEXT 100 – Alapag 18, Castro 16, De Ocampo 16, Fonacier 11, Williams 9, Peek 9, Dillinger 8, Carey 8, Reyes 2, Aban 2, Alvarez 1.

AIR 21 94 – Cortez 23, Sena 18, Canaleta 13, Isip 9, Arboleda 8, Ritualo 7, Custodio 6, Atkins 4, Reyes 4, Omolon 2, Baclao 0.

Quarters: 20-19, 51-48, 70-69, 100-94
-InterAKTV

air 21 express , jimmy alapag , talk 'n text tropang texters

Barangay Ginebra San Miguel tries to extend its winning streak, Talk ‘N Text takes on Air 21

League-leader Talk ‘N Text eyes a playoff for an automatic semifinal seat while Barangay Ginebra San Miguel tries to extend its winning streak to four when they face separate foes in the 2013 PBA Philippine Cup on Sunday at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum.

The Tropang Texters battle Air 21 in the opener at 4:15 p.m. before the Gin Kings bracing for a royal battle against Rain or Shine at 6:30 p.m.

With a win-loss 9-2 mark, defending Philippine Cup champion Talk ‘N Text shoots for a win that would put one foot in the top two spots, which come with a twice-to-beat incentive in the quarterfinals.

Talk ‘N Text is coming off a 92-63 shellacking of San Mig Coffee to stay on top of the team standings.

“We can’t get let our guard down. We’re only one game ahead of the other teams,” said Norman Black. The Elasto Painters and the Mixers are just one game behind Talk ‘N Text with identical 8-3 marks.

The Express are holding the No. 8 spot with a 4-7 slate and they need to win their remaining three games to make sure they get a slot in the next round.

In the main tiff, the Gin Kings, toting a 5-5 mark, collide with Rain or Shine, which is fresh off a come-from-behind 102-98 win over Meralco.

Ginebra is on a roll, winning its last three games, but coach Siot Tanquingcen knows his team has to bring its A-game to stand a chance against a tough Elasto Painters squad.

“We need this game very badly,” said Tanquingcen. “So, it’s important for us to keep our focus and execute properly on our offense.”

The Kings are also coming off a 96-93 close win over Alaska to reach .500 after a 2-5 start.

Rain or Shine rallied back from a 26-point hole against the Bolts in notching the improbable victory in a highly physical encounter.
-InterAKTV

air 21 express , barangay ginebra san miguel , rain or shine elasto painters , talk 'n text tropang texters

PBA fined Air 21 center Rob Reyes P10,000, hit on Abueva

The PBA has fined Air 21 center Rob Reyes a sum of P10,000 after an incident last Wednesday in the Express’ victory over the Alaska Aces.

Reyes tangled with Calvin Abueva in the fourth quarter of their game, with the Alaska rookie pulling the veteran slotman down to the floor. Reyes responded by hitting Abueva with an open palm in the face.

Although no foul was called by the referees on the play, the league upon review upgraded the hit to a flagrant foul penalty one.

After meeting with the player Saturday, PBA commissioner Chito Salud sanctioned Reyes for the foul and “for trash talking/taunting” Abueva after the play.

“Reyes’ acts are aggravated by the fact that they were unnecessarily committed when play had already shifted away from both players,” Salud said in a statement.

Earlier, the league suspended referee Jimmy Mariano for four playdates for missing the Reyes foul.

“I am also reminding our players to refrain from needlessly exposing other players, along with themselves, to serious injury and undue hurt through intentional and blatantly dirty and rough play as this will invariably be met with penalties and sanctions from my office.”
-InterAKTV

air 21 express , alaska aces , calvin abueva , rob reyes

Air 21 embarrasses powerhouse Petron

Mark Isip and the rest of the Air 21 big men dominated the paint as the Express dealt the Petron Blaze Boosters a beating on Friday, 97-76, at the Araneta Coliseum.

"We were aggressive; we outworked them this time around. We made adjustments. We talked to several players," said Air 21 head coach Franz Pumaren.

The talk must have worked, as Pumaren got great games from his twin towers in Isip and Rob Reyes. Isip tallied 22 big points, 20 of them in the first three quarters, while grabbing seven boards to lead the struggling Express. Reyes chipped in 17 points while Bonbon Custodio and Niño Canaleta added 12 each to spread the scoring for Air 21.

The Express started strong in the first, pouring in 34 points early to Petron's 23. The Boosters managed to cut the lead to six at the end of the first half, 48-42, before Isip and Canaleta re-established a double digit lead yet again, 68-56, early in the third. The hot shooting continued for Pumaren's squad, as John Wilson rattled in an open three while Nelbert Omolon converted on a layup on the break to give Air 21 a 21-point lead to end the third.

In the fourth, consecutive hits in the paint by Reyes and Yousef Taha gave the Express a 25-point lead, 85-60. The Boosters failed to find an answer, while Nonoy Baclao sustained the inside presence for the Express with back to back hits in the final two minutes to seal the deal, 97-76.

Santos led the Boosters with 15, while Chris Lutz and Alex Cabagnot added 13 and 11, respectively. With Danny Ildefonso and Junemar Fajardo sidelined due to injuries, Petron had a lean rotation down low, relying on Dorian Peña and Jay Washington in the paint with only Magi Sison as a substitute.

"The coaching staff scouted pretty well. We maximized mismatches from the beginning," added Pumaren, who had Yousef Taha and Nonoy Baclao along with Isip and Reyes to outplay the Petron big men.

With the win, the Express now improve to 2-5 to tie Barako Bull. Petron is still in sixth place with a 3-4 record, with four teams up top with an identical 4-2 win loss card.


The scores:

AIR 21 97 - Isip 22, Reyes 17, Custodio 12, Canaleta 12, Omolon 11, Baclao 9, Wilson 5, Taha 4, Arboleda 3, Ritualo 2, Atkins 0.

PETRON 76 - Santos 15, Lutz 13, Cabagnot 11, Washington 9, Mallari 6, Yeo 6, Lassiter 5, Lanete 4, Pena 4, Miranda 3, Sison 0, Duncil 0.

Quarters: 34-23, 48-42, 79-58, 97-76

air 21 express , mark isip , petron blaze boosters , rob reyes