Games Today
(Araneta Coliseum)
5:15 p.m. — Meralco vs B-Meg
7:30 p.m. — Petron vs Talk ‘N Text


 
With only four teams in the running for the Finals, B-Meg goes for at least a playoff shot while Talk ‘N Text continues its quest for the tournament’s 4-of-5 incentive today in the Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup semifinals at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The red hot Llamados ousted defending champion Petron Blaze Wednesday with a come-from-behind 104-93 triumph and are now solidly in second place with a 9-3 win-loss record. A win in their 5:15 p.m. game against Meralco will reward the Llamados at least a tie for one of the two Finals seats.
Then there’s Talk ‘N Text. The Tropang Texters made short work of the Bolts two nights ago, 108-84, that kept intact their own bid to win four of their five semifinal assignments. Tournament format rewards such a team a playoff shot at the Finals regardless of its carryover record.
The Tropang Texters tangle with the Boosters in the 7:30 p.m. featured game.
The two other teams with solid chances of making it to the Finals — league-leading Rain or Shine and crowd favorite Barangay Ginebra — were still playing as of press time. A win by the Elasto Painters last night would have given them at least a tie for a Finals berth while a triumph by the Gin Kings would put them a game closer.
With the Bolts already out of the running, the Llamados are expected to play with less pressure, unlike their game against the Boosters where they had to bounce back from a 19-point deficit.
Import Marcus Blakely scattered 35 points that fired up the Llamados in the fourth quarter where they overhauled a 67-74 disadvantage with a 37-19 barrage in the last 12 minutes to pull off the reversal.
“When you’re in a system, you sort of dream for that opportunity to win. I told them at half time that we were too emotional. We had an attitude adjustment,” said B-Meg assistant coach Jeff Cariaso who took over the reins of Tim Cone when the latter was ejected from the game in the first half.
The Tropang Texters will be the recipient of such a tough challenge from the Boosters and this has TNT coach Chot Reyes concerned.
“The only thing we can think of is Petron. We’re just shortening our sight — next game. That’s the only thing we can control at this point,” said Reyes who is, himself, eyeing a big exit this season from the Tropang Texters before moving on as head coach of the Smart Gilas Pilipinas national team.
But Reyes is wary that his Tropang Texters — finalists in the last five Conferences and champions in three — are all but tuckered out and spent from such a demanding campaign.
“They’ve been very tired. We’ve been playing too much basketball. I would love to play this tournament with a complete lineup,” he said.
The Tropang Texters continue to miss key players (Harvey Carey, Jared Dillinger and Ryan Reyes) who were instrumental in taking them through that winning campaign since last season.
“Injuries are part of basketball. We were hit hard by a combination of injuries and fatigue. But that’s not an excuse. We just have to go ‘balls out’ in these few remaining games and see what happens,” Reyes said.