TWO of the season-ending tourney’s hottest teams, defending champion San Miguel Beer and Magnolia, are out to keep their winning run going.
Which squad will realize that goal will be known when the Beermen and Hotshots collide tonight in a titanic clash in the PBA Philippine Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The match is set at 7:30 p.m., with the Beermen staking their unbeaten 7-0 mark against the Hotshots, who have won four in a row.
Phoenix and Meralco fight for survival in the curtain-raiser at 4:30.
SMB coach Jorge Gallent and his charges’ mindset remains the same–they have to bring their A-Game.
“We’ll treat Magnolia as a threat to us,” Gallent said after the Beermen clobbered the NorthPort Batang Pier 120-100 five nights back. “For sure, they also have the twice-to-beat advantage in mind.
“But we just have to be prepared and do things that we have to do to beat a team like Magnolia. We’ll be prepared,” he added.
The likes of reigning seven-time MVP June Mar Fajardo, Mo Tautuaa, CJ Perez, Terrence Romeo, Marcio Lassiter, Jericho Cruz, and Don Trollano are expected to spearhead SMB’s bid to gain a twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals.
Certainly not to be outdone is Magnolia, which will go into the battle on a high, having scored a 108-102 victory over Rain or Shine last Saturday that snapped the Elasto Painters’ five-match streak in Tiaong, Quezon.
Hotshots tactician Chito Victolero will pin his hopes on Ian Sangalang, Mark Barroca, Paul Lee, Jio Jalalon, and Calvin Abueva in their drive to hike their 5-2 card.
“Kung sino manalo may chance talaga para umangat. Every game is crucial,” Bolts strategist Luigi Trillo said. “Going to our last four games, our margin for error ay iisa lang.
“With that loss to Converge, we now have to win all three of our remaining (elims) games to secure a quarterfinals spot, maybe a top six.”
Meralco became Converge’s first victim of the meet after the Bolts dropped a 99-104 loss to the FiberXers five days ago that pulled them down to 3-5, just above the Fuel Masters (3-6).
What gnaws at Trillo there was one player from their previous foes who stepped up against the Bolts.
