Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Barangay Ginebra and Magnolia Beverage Masters Seek Semis Seats
It's time to go for the jugular this evening. Magnolia Beverage Masters should treat this gamme as do-or-die if battle it wants to advance to the semifinals. No more Gamme 3 period.
The team who dominates on defense will win this one. Another factor if the team wants to win is to minimize the turnover. It's been the team's achilles heel all conference long. Lessen this one to avoid giving easy points after a turnover to the opposition.
To all Magnolia Beverage Masters fans out there, please do support the team on this crucial part of the conference. As I am always saying, we have a good chance of getting another championship. Do you share my opinion? Just leave a comment and thank you for dropping by.
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Source: Philippine Star
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Kings, Masters seek semis seats
The Sta. Lucia Realtors, who survived two knockout gammes, are confident of rising up to the challenge again, this time against the Barangay Ginebra Kings for a crack at a possible season sweep.
The All-Filipino champions play a third do-or-die gamme in eight days when they tangle with the Kings tonight at the Ynares Center, looking to force a rubber match in their best-of-three Smart PBA Fiesta Conference quarterfinals showdown.
The Realtors overcame the dethroned Alaska Milk Aces and the Talk n Text Phone Pals in two previous knockout tussles.
Joseph Yeo came through with career-high numbers on both gammes and became the recipient of the Smart-Accel Player of the Week honors for the period July 9-13.
But Ginebra sent Sta. Lucia on the brink of elimination again with a come-from-behind 92-90 win at the start of their quarterfinal round duel Sunday at the Astrodome.
Magnolia Beverage Masters also moved within a win of a semis stint as the Beverage Masters whipped the Coca-Cola Tigers, 108-96, in the opener of their own quarterfinal showdown.
Coaches Jong Uichico of Ginebra and Siot Tanquingcen of Magnolia Beverage Masters said they would need to work doubly hard to finish off their respective rivals today.
“Sta. Lucia is a great defensive team that we need to match their intensity. They dominated Gamme One and we just turned things around in the fourth quarter. We have to come out and do a better job if we want the series over Wednesday,” said Uichico.
“In a best-of-three series, winning Gamme One is a big advantage. But it will mean nothing if you’re not able to finish the job. For sure, it won’t be easy,” said Tanquingcen.
Sta. Lucia has proved it’s a team that thrives under pressure, having survived a total of four do-or-die gammes already in the season, counting Gamme Seven in the semifinals and finals of the recent Philippine Cup.
“No one can question the character of the boys. They show the stuff they’re made of when their backs are against the wall,” said Sta. Lucia top official Buddy Encarnado.
Ginebra rode high on clutch plays by Junthy Valenzuela to seize control in the fourth quarter and eventually steal the gamme from Sta. Lucia Sunday. Curiously, Valenzuela struggled early on, going scoreless in the first three quarters.
“He’s a veteran and he’s been there before. We know we can count on him to do things even as he struggles in the early part of a gamme,” said Uichico in lauding Valenzuela after the contest.
Valenzuela and Mark Caguioa have to play extended minutes with Ronald Tubid sustaining a dislocated ankle in the team’s last gamme in the elimination round.
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