Barako fights for survival vs SMB

San Miguel Beer guns for the first outright Final Four slot this Friday when it battles Barako Bull which is desperately trying to stave off elimination while Sta. Lucia Realty meets Burger King in the KFC-PBA Philippine Cup at the Astrodome in Pasay City.
 
The Beermen, with the second-best record of 12-3 behind the Alaska Aces’ 11-2 win-loss card, are expected to cruise past the Energy Boosters whose 2-12 record is worst in the league.


The two collide in the curtain raiser at 5 p.m., before the Realtors (8-6) and the retooled BK Whoppers (5-10) clash in the 7:30 p.m. main game.

The Beermen have already earned a playoff for one of the two coveted semifinals seats after sister-team Barangay Ginebra downed defending champion Talk ’N Text, 105-82, late Wednesday night.

Ginebra got 19 points from JC Intal while Ronald Tubid added 18. Mark Caguioa, a late addition to the lineup when he was reactivated to replace the injured Doug Kramer, had eight points in his first game after missing 14 due to a knee injury.

The win gave the Gin Kings a share of third spot with their victims at 10-6 with the Tropang Texters facing the possibility of being relegated to the knockout wildcard phase with that loss.

While the top two squads after the end of classification will advance to the Final Four, the third to fifth finishers will be given outright passage to the quarterfinals, with the sixth to ninth teams playing in the wildcard. The 10th finisher will be out of the playoffs.

SMB solidified its roster with off-season acquisitions of Arwind Santos and Dennis Miranda to complement mainstays Dondon Hontiveros, Lordy Tugade, Mike Cortez, Dorian Peña, Jonas Villanueva, and Mick Pennisi.

However, even with a strong lineup, San Miguel coach Siot Tanquingcen is not taking Barako Bull lightly despite their 104-89 win over Energy Boosters in the first round last Noveember 14.

“Like what I always say, anybody is capable of beating anybody on any given night,” said Tanquingcen, whose team is coming off a three-game winning streak to end the year 2009, including a 91-86 win over Ginebra last December 20.

“We can’t take anything for granted. Nothing is a given, the only thing we have control over is our effort,” he added.

As for Barako Bull, the Leo Isaac-mentored squad is not only eager to end a 10-game losing skid but also to bolster its chances of making the playoffs via the wildcard phase.

The Boosters are at the bottom of the standings and currently half-game behind the Coca-Cola Tigers for the last playoff spot. For them, it’s a fight for survival.