PBA PHILIPPINE CUP FINALS

[kd19orcinus]

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Who's gonna battle for the Talk'n'Text Philippine Cup Finals?

Gin Kings VS Beermen?

Phone Pals VS Beermen?

Gin Kings VS Barakos?

Phone Pals VS Barakos?

[--Makoy--]

nindot unta SMB-ginebra.. but so far, it seems SMB-TnT. TnT is playing a good game matching helterbrand and cagiuoa and of course, forcing ginebra to play half-court game. ginebra has beaten talk n text only once out of their 5 game this conference.

[kd19orcinus]

nindot unta SMB-ginebra.. but so far, it seems SMB-TnT. TnT is playing a good game matching helterbrand and cagiuoa and of course, forcing ginebra to play half-court game. ginebra has beaten talk n text only once out of their 5 game this conference.

Correct! TnT is matching every talent that Gin kings have, though its going to be a long series. Ren2x once again proved his being deadly form beyond the arc... go phone pals :mrgreen:

[--Makoy--]

plus cardona is proving his worth in the pba. aside from his game winning three in game 2, he kept in pace with caguioa in game 3.

ginebra misses eric menk badly. they have to step or else rudy hatfield will eat his own words (nothing less than a championship?)..hehehe

[kd19orcinus]

San miguel against talk n text is also a tough match :mrgreen:

[kd19orcinus]

FRIDAY MAD SCRAMBLE FOR PIVOTAL WIN NO.3

Thursday, 01 February 2007
With momentum shifting to their side, the Red Bull Barakos and the Barangay Ginebra Kings try to seize the moment and regain control in their respective semifinal series in the 2006-07 Talk N Text PBA Philippine Cup.

Red Bull coach Yeng Guiao is certain that their astonishing victory Wednesday night has raised his troops' level of confidence. And if his gut feel serves him right, their gutsy stand in Game 4 could be the turning point of their series against the San Miguel Beermen.
"The important games of this series are not the ones you win by blowouts but by sheer determination," Guiao contends.

Mick Pennisi demonstrated Red Bull's great resolve by courageously taking – and knocking in – a pressure-packed, game winning three in the closing seconds to tie the series at two games apiece.

Their ability to dominate the boards also helped the Barakos in their cause. Badly beaten off the boards in Game 3, 49-75, the Barakos asserted their strength in the lane in Game 4 for a 60-50 rebounding edge.

Guiao considers that victory as "a good stepping stone to build our determination for the next game. He also maintains the series will be a long, tough grind, but insists grim determination, not physicality, will determine whoever between Red Bull and SMB will make it to the Finals.

Game 5 of the best-of-seven series is set at 4:35 p.m. at the Araneta Coliseum. The other showdown pitting the Talk N Text Phone Pals and the Barangay Ginebra Kings unfolds at 7:20 pm .

Amazed at how his charges turned the complexion of Game 4 around, Ginebra coach Jong Uichico couldn't help but feel optimistic about their chances going into Friday's game.

"If we could play with the same kind of intensity in Game 5, I think we got a good shot," Uichico said.

Mark Caguioa, who scored 35 Wednesday, remains a big headache for the Phone Pals if he gets his way.

Saying he makes it a point to raise the level of his game during playoffs, the Ginebra firebrand posed a challenge to the Phone Pals by contending that he doubts if anybody could stop him.

"I'll do whatever it takes. If I score just two points and the team wins I'll be happy. Our goal is to reach the championship," Caguioa said. (DBC

[--Makoy--]

any match-ups of either of the 4 teams is tough.. peo nindot unta jud kung smb-ginebra.. bakbakan tdo jud ni

[kd19orcinus]

SAN MIGUEL BEER A WIN AWAY FROM FINALS
7 Beermen in double figures; Red Bull in 2nd worst loss in franchise history


The memory of their bitter loss to Red Bull in the previous conference still haunts Olsen Racela. And he swears he and his teammates will make the Barakos pay back.
“We have a score to settle. That’s my mindset coming into this series,” declared the San Miguel Beer veteran guard moments after their 111-82 annihilation of the Barakos Friday night in Game 5 of their semifinal duel in the 2006-07 Talk n Text-PBA Philippine Cup behind another SRO crowd at the Araneta Coliseum.

The teams were also paired against each other in the Final Four of the same tournament last season with Red Bull eliminating SMB in the deciding Game 7 courtesy of Junthy Valenzuela’s buzzer-beating basket.

“It’s always a challenge to play against Red Bull,” Racela admits. “Let’s see what happens in Game 6.”

Game 6 is set Sunday at the Araneta Coliseum with the Beermen eyeing a 28th Finals appearance since 1975, the most by any franchise..

Right after their triumphant stint that gave them a 3-2 lead in the series, SMB coach Chot Reyes he told his troops to be happy about this win and celebrate but start thinking about Sunday.

“By all means we’ll go for it on Sunday,” proclaimed Reyes, proud and happy with the way his big men – Dorian Pena, Romel Adducul and Danny Ildefonso – held their own against their Red Bull counterparts.

“Carlo Sharma and Leo Najorda (of Red Bull) really hurt us the last time out and really challenged my big men. I’m happy with how they responded tonight,” Reyes observed.

For the fifth consecutive game, Danny Seigle showed the way for the Beermen with 21 points on a 9-of-24 shooting. But it was SMB’s veteran backcourt of Racela and Chris Calaguio who delivered the killer blows each time Red Bull threatened to make a run.

SMB got off to a good start and erected a 10-point lead early in the second quarter. The Barakos quickly got back into the game and a basket by Rich Alvarez, who suffered a cut in his chin after accidentally being elbowed by Adducul, put Red Bull ahead, 33-32.

That turned out to be Red Bull’s finall hurrah and the last time to enjoy the driver’s seat.

A 14-0 blast by the Beermen turned the complexion of the game around and Red Bull never recovered from there. Pena scored 10 points and Seigle and Calaguio had a 3-pointer each during that telling spurt.

Usually ferocious and energetic, the Barakos played flat and didn’t seem to have the urgency to win.

The grit and determination they displayed when they beat the Beermen in the closing seconds of Game 4 to level the series were showcased virtually the entire game.

Overall though it was their turnovers and poor shooting that cost them the game.

Red Bull committed 18 errors, four more than SMB, which earned 21 points from those miscues. And although the Barakos gained a 22-19 edge off the offensive boards, SMB still had a 21-13 edge in second chance points.

That’s because the Barakos shot just 36 percent from the field (31-of-86) and 15-of-24 from the free throw line. In contrast, the Beermen connected 45 percent of their attempts (42-of-93) and missed just one of 16 free throws.

Cyrus Baguio scored 18 points and Junthy Valenzuela added 16 for the Barakos, who absorbed their second worst loss in franchise history, next only to a 102-68 drubbing also by the Beermen on August 28, 2002 in Game 3 of both teams best-of-five semifinal in the Commissioner’s Cup.

Last year’s Fiesta Conference Best Player of the Conference Rico Villanueva of Red Bull was held to only two points, his lowest output in the tournament and lowest since finishing with only one point in an 89-85 loss to Coca-Cola April 2 last year in the elims of the previous Philippine Cup. (DBC)

The scores:

San Miguel Beer 111 – Seigle D. 21, Racela 19, Gonzales 16, Calaguio 15, Pena 13, Adducul 10, Ildefonso 10, Hontiveros 3, Espinas 2, Wilson 2, Tenorio 0, Tugade 0.

Red Bull 82 – Baguio 19, Valenzuela 15, Fonacier 14, Najorda 9, Alvarez 6, Cruz 5, Pennisi 5, Sharma 3, Robinson 3, Villanueva 2.

Quarterscores: 21-15, 49-41, 74-64, 111-82.

[kd19orcinus]

CAGUIOA-HELTERBRAND COMBO STRIKES, GINEBRA UP 3-2
Endgame flurry averts total collapse as Kings near Finals berth
Friday, 02 February 2007

Barangay Ginebra blew a 21-point lead and teetered on the brink of collapse but came through with clutch plays in the closing seconds to salvage a win and move into the threshold of the 2006-07 Talk N Text PBA Philippine Cup Finals.

Before another sellout crowd at the Araneta Coliseum Friday, Mark Caguioa and Jayjay Helterbrand conspired for two crucial fastbreak plays in the last 17 seconds, and the Kings pulled off a 108-105 heart-stopper over the Talk N Text Phone Pals to gain the pivotal 3-2 lead in their best-of-seven semifinal showdown.

The Kings take their first of two cracks at the title playoff Sunday also at the Big Dome.

"This is a very emotional win but the series is not yet over. If we come Sunday thinking it’s already over, then we’ll be in trouble," said Ginebra coach Jong Uichico.

"Ang hirap kalaban ng Talk N Text, lalo na Sunday with their backs against the wall. Imagine, we were already leading by 21 points but they were able to seize control in the fourth quarter," Uichico added.

"I’m glad we got the 3-2 lead. It’s hard to win two straight games. We’re not gonna relax. We’ll take the opportunity Sunday," said Caguioa, who had another explosive performance.

Caguioa, the league scoring leader and hot contender for the Best Player of the Conference award, erupted for 31 points, including a fastbreak layup with 17 seconds to go, giving Ginebra the lead to stay at 106-105.

Helterbrand fed Caguioa on that play. Then after Jimmy Alapag fumbled Talk N Text’s possession, Helterbrand and Caguioa again conspired for another transition offense with the former this time finishing the play as the Kings all but wrapped up the game.

Talk N Text’s bid eventually vanished in the air as Harvey Carey’s desperation three-point missed the target at the buzzer.

"Again, the boys showed their never-say-die spirit. We lost control and gotten into trouble but the players still found a way to win," said Uichico.

The Pals pushed the Kings to wall as they took a 105-102 lead with time down to 50 seconds.

The Kings, however, saw a ray of hope as Sunday Salvacion scored two charities off Renren Ritualo, then Rudy Hatfield and Rafi Reavis put up a defensive gem on Taulava in the ensuing play.

With the clock winding down, everything seemed like a blur as Caguioa and Helterbrand teamed up in back-to-back fastbreak plays to win it for Ginebra in the last 17 seconds.

Hatfield, Helterbrand and Reavis also put in huge numbers like Caguioa. Hatfield had 21 points, seven rebounds, four steals and one assist, Helterbrand 16 assists and 15 points, and Reavis 16 rebounds and eight points.

The Kings utterly dominated the first half while shooting well offensively and defending tenaciously on the other end.

Converting 56.1 percent of their shots and lording it over the boards, 26-18, the Kings erected a 61-45 lead at halftime.

Ginebra outscored Talk N Text, 21-12, on three-point shooting in the first 24 minutes with Mark Caguioa accounting for three triples, Sunday Salvacion two and Jayjay Helterbrand and Ronald Tubid one apiece.

The Kings jumped the gun on the Pals, taking control early as they set a 35-20 cushion after the first period. (NC)

The scores:

Ginebra 108 – Caguioa 31, Hatfield 21, Helterbrand 15, Salvacion 10, Reavis 8, Holper 6, Mamaril 6, Tubid 5, Macapagal 4, Abarrientos 2.

Talk N Text 105 – Washington 22, Taulava 21, Cardona 19, Ritualo 13, Carey 11, Alapag 11, Belano 5, De Ocampo 3, Fran 0, Pablo 0.

Quarterscores: 35-20, 61-45, 87-80, 108-105.

[--Makoy--]

washington is having a big breakout this season.. gawas na gyud iyang pba potential