Game Today (Smart Araneta)
8 p.m. – San Mig Coffee vs Barako Bull
Manila, Philippines – San Mig Super Coffee, one of two reasons why coach Norman Black says league leader Talk ‘N Text can’t afford to let up, takes on Barako Bull in a lone game tonight in the PLDT Home TVolution Commissioner’s Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Gametime is at 8 p.m., with the Mixers gunning for their fourth straight win and the Energy Cola looking to check a three-game slide and improve on a 1-4 record at 9th spot.
With the unbeaten Tropang Texters, who rolled to their sixth consecutive win following a hard-earned 94-87 victory over Barangay Ginebra San Miguel last Sunday, taking a seven-day break, 2nd-running San Mig hopes to close the distance between them before their scheduled showdown on March 31.
Asked whether the 6-0 slate assures them of at least a No. 2 slot and a second twice-to-beat advantage in the playoffs, Black flatly dismissed the notion.
“We have one other unbeaten team (San Mig) and another with only one loss (SMBeer), I don’t think we can lose focus at this point,” said Black after the Kings game.
Black said he will be giving his team at least two days off from practice.
The Mixers are coming off a 91-74 shellacking of Philippine Cup Finals opponent Rain or Shine which sent the Elasto Painters to their second straight loss and a 1-3 card at 8th place.
Barako Bull, on the other hand, recently absorbed a 106-100 defeat at the hands of San Miguel Beer in a game where E-Colas import Josh Dollard torched the Beermen for 46 points before getting extinguished in the last quarter.
Meanwhile, the game between San Miguel Beer and Globalport at the Big Dome was ongoing at presstime. (Tito S. Talao)