5 p.m. — Talk ’N Text vs Barako Bull Coffee
7:30 p.m. — Ginebra vs Derby Ace
B-Meg Derby Ace shoots for at least playoff berth for the second and last outright semis berth when it battles Barangay Ginebra while league-leading Talk ’N Text tries to close out its classification round campaign on a high note this Wednesday in the PBA Fiesta Cup at the Araneta Coliseum.
The Llamados are on a run, having won their last four games, including an inspiring 88-87 win over TNT in a road game that ended the latter’s amazing 13-game winning run.
Despite their success, the Llamados will have to bring their A-game against a team desperately seeking a win to enhance its own bid to clinch an outright quarterfinals berth.
Game time is set at 7:30 p.m. with the Llamados out to score a follow-up to their 95-82 win in the first round. The Llamados are sporting an 11-5 card, just a game behind second running San Miguel Beer (12-5).
Clashing in the first game at 5 p.m. are TNT and Barako Bull Coffee.
For B-Meg to clinch the second outright semis berth, it must win its last two remaining games and hopes that San Miguel drops its last game against Alaska – another team still in the hunt for a semis berth with an 11-6 card.
In the event B-Meg wins its last two games and San Miguel beats Alaska on Saturday in Dumaguete, the sister teams will end up with similar 13-5 records, thus requiring a playoff for the second automatic berth.
But if a three-way tie will occur among Alaska, San Miguel and B-Meg for the second to fourth places, the Aces and the Beermen will contest the other semis berth on account of their superior quotient over the Llamados.
The other going for the Llamados is that the Kings are on a slump, dropping their last two against teams at the bottom half of the standings, the Coca-Cola Tigers (95-96) and the Air21 Express (97-98).
However, B-Meg Derby Ace head coach Ryan Gregorio is not taking the Kings for granted, saying: “With a re-tooled roster comparable in talent to the mighty Texters and the awesome Beermen, Ginebra will always be a dangerous foe especially because they also badly need a victory.”
“I expect nothing short of a playoff kind of game,” said Gregorio.
Ginebra’s loss to the Express forced them to play in a must-win game to book an outright slot in the quarterfinals.
The Chot Reyes-mentored Talk ’N Text had already claimed the first semis spot a week ago and then bagged the top seeding few days later with a 14-3 record.
“It is truly an important game for us in our pursuit to grab the second seed,” Gregorio said. “We’re upbeat, knowing that our fate is still within our control but we have to take care of our own business. We have primed ourselves up for this opportunity.”
“We will certainly make sure that tremendous effort is rendered in our game against Ginebra,” added Gregorio.
As for Ginebra, all it needs is a win to enter the quarters and avoid any complication as Rain or Shine and Coke, both with 7-9 cards, can still catch them up for the last quarterfinal slot.
“This game will define our chances. We just need to win,” Ginebra mentor Jong Uichico said.
The curtain raiser is equally exciting as the Coffee Masters will not only try to avenge an 85-95 win opposite, but more importantly keep their hopes alive for the last wildcard spot. Barako Bull Coffee is fresh from a 103-100 win against Sta. Lucia Realty last June 13.
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