Game Today (Smart Araneta)
4 p.m. – Valenzuela vs KABAKA Manila
Revenge is in the air when Valenzuela and KABAKA-Manila clash today for the championship of the 2014 Coca-Cola PBA Youngstars basketball tournament at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Both teams will get to experience the Big Dome atmosphere at 4 p.m., a few hours before undefeated Talk ‘N Text and battle-weary San Mig Super Coffee take the floor in Game 1 of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals.
Valenzuela, unscathed in the eliminations, dealt Manila its lone setback, 55-46, on April 24 at the JCSGO gym. Both team had been on a roll since then.
In the semifinals, Valenzuela, with Carl Brian Lacap firing 18 points, came back from a slim first quarter deficit to turn back Taguig, 52-44, while Manila, behind the 21 points of Ivan Andaya and the 15 of Jehan Mendoza, edged hardfighting Marikina, 61-57.
Marikina led 14-11 after the first quarter and 32-27 at halftime before losing steam in the third period. Francis Romulo Macasil had 11 points for Taguig’s losing cause, while Alwyn Santos unloaded 21 points for Marikina.