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BEERMEN SLIGHT FAVORITES

SMB, Air21 clash for last quarterfinal berth

01/04/2009

Game today (Araneta Coliseum)

6:00 p.m. — San Miguel Beer vs. Air21

San Miguel Beer is a team built around the so-called superstars, that observers often say two starting fives could be easily assembled out of its roster. Air21, on the other hand, rides on players mostly young and talented.

Ironically, the Beermen and the Express have fallen into the wild card phase and that they need every win to make the quarterfinal round of the KFC-PBA Philippine Cup.

Good for them though, both teams survived their first assignments in the wild card phase and are now crossing their paths in a game that will determine who between them will join Sta. Lucia Realty, Rain or Shine and Barangay Ginebra in the quarterfinal round.

The Beermen turned back Coca-Cola, 99-89 while the Express nosed out Purefoods, 94-92 at the start of the wild card phase last Dec. 28, to arrange a knock-out for the last quarterfinal berth.

What does SMB coach Siot Tanquincen say of the Beermen’s chances today against the Express?

“Ok naman,” Tanquincen said. “So long as we play our style of basketball and not try to outshoot a talented Air21 team.”

Game time is set at 6 p.m. at the Araneta Coliseum.

Format of the quarterfinal round is best-of-three series for both pairs in which the winners will join early semifinalists Alaska Milk which topped the two-round eliminations at 12-6 (win-loss) and Talk ‘N Text which finished second best at 11-7.

If only for the twin victories they pulled off in elimination round, the Beermen are the slight favorites in the lone encounter, although that may not be a real guarantee of a repeat win for a team that has one of the deepest bench in the pro-league.

The Beermen, who finished the regular elimination with a 9-9 slate, first nipped the Express (8-10), 130-129 last Nov. 5, and repeated on Nov. 26 by fashioning out a lopsided 98-78 triumph.

Barangay Ginebra, one of the SMC franchise’s three teams in the pro-league, avoided the wild card phase after whipping an outright semis berth-seeking Rain or Shine, 63-58 on Dec. 25, which in the process gave TNT a free ride to outright semis.