Free Pick: TNT -2.0 (PBA) W

Preview: Talk n Text and Coca-Cola dispute solo second today while B-Meg Derby Ace hopes to check a two-game slide against slumping Barako Energy Coffee in the PBA Fiesta Conference at the Araneta Coliseum.

The Llamados and the Coffee Masters battle at 5 p.m. then the Tropang Texters and the Tigers clash at 7:30 p.m. in the final play date before the tourney takes a break for the annual PBA All-Star event in Puerto Princesa, Palawan starting Friday.

Barako will be playing without import Sammy Monroe who was suspended for one game and fined P20,000 for his flagrant foul on Mark Yee in their game versus Talk n Text last Friday.

“We need intensity on defense plus improvement on offense. Minus Monroe, the locals must show up,” said Barako coach Junel Baculi.

The Coffee Masters have lost their last five games after winning their opening game against the Sta. Lucia Realtors.

The Llamados are fancied to regain their winning ways after losing their last two games to the Coca-Cola Tigers and the Alaska Milk Aces.

Purefoods is reportedly considering looking for a new import to replace Lorenzo Wade.

The Texters and the Tigers are both gunning for a fifth win in seven games for solo second behind the front-running San Miguel Beermen (5-1).

“Again, the challenge is how we fare against powerhouse teams. We need to find it within ourselves to fight for the win,” said Coca-Cola coach Bo Perasol as they brace for a battle against the TnT squad hot on a three-game run.

Free Pick: Rain or Shine+3.5 (PBA) W

Preview: Enjoying its best start in years, Coca-Cola tries to regain the solo lead when it battles Rain or Shine this Friday in the PBA Fiesta Cup at the Araneta Coliseum.

The Tigers face the Elasto Painters at 5 p.m., while the Talk ’N Text Tropang Texters shoot for a third straight win when they tackle the Barako Bull Coffee Masters at 7:30 p.m.

Coke is currently tied for the lead with defending champion San Miguel Beer with similar 4-1 win-loss cards following its stunning 79-76 win over B-Meg Derby Ace the other day.

The defeat was B-Meg’s first in nine games since the semis of the Philippine Cup. The Llamados completed a rare four-game sweep of Alaska Milk in the finals and won their first two games in the season-ending tournament.

Meantime, Alaska finally barged into the win-column after dropping its first two games with a 105-95 win over Air21 Wednesday.

The Tigers beat the Llamados without import James Penny who missed the last five minutes of the game after he was accidentally elbowed by B-Meg import Lo Wade that caused a deep vertical cut on his right eye brow.

Penny, who finished with 20 points and 18 rebounds, will play Friday and is expected to anchor the team against the Painters who hope to bounce back after a 100-98 defeat to Ginebra last Saturday in Victorias, Negros Occidental.

In that game, Rain or Shine controlled the match, leading as many as 15 points only to lose steam down the stretch.

What was galling was that they had the chance to send the game into overtime or win it with a three-pointer. Import Jai Lewis received the ball with 13 seconds left Lewis wasted a lot of time trying to find a shot and failed to make a decent attempt.

For Rain or Shine to win, they should not only focus on stopping Penny but also find ways on how to limit the production of Asi Taulava, Gary David, and Mark Macapagal.

Coca-Cola mentor Bo Perasol described their win against B-Meg as “character defining moment” but said they need to put more intensity on their game especially against the young guns of Rain or Shine, led by Gabe Norwood and Sol Mercado.

“I hope we can carry playing this way,” Perasol said. “Rain or Shine is a tough team because they’re running and their import is very talented.”

Barako Bull Coffee, meanwhile, hopes to end a four-game losing skid after a successful opening game with a win over Sta. Lucia (93-97). The Coffee Masters recently lost to the SMB Beermen (82-106).

Free Pick: Ginebra+1.5 (PBA) W

Preview: The Gin Kings look to rebound against the pace-setting Coca-cola Tigers after a lackluster outing against Sta. Lucia. This goes the same with import Awvee Storey who was able to finish in double figures only after making six points in the last two minutes of play. He made only 13 points but grabbed 22 rebounds.

With the Realtors putting the game beyond reach early, Ginebra coach Jong Uichico used the opportunity to break in new recruit John Ferriols and newly reactivated Junthy Valenzuela.

The Tigers, on the other hand, are coming from a thrilling victory against Air 21 where James Penny had another productive night with 29 points despite being saddled with fouls as the Tigers stayed unbeaten in the PBA Fiesta Conference at the Araneta Coliseum.
David picked up from where he left last week when he was named Player of the Week, scoring a game-high 21 points and had four assists and Norman Gonzales added 10 off the bench, including 3 of 4 from the 3-point range.

Air21 had a good start but lost momentum in the second quarter when they committed 13 turnovers. Although they gave up only six points on those miscues, it enabled the Tigers to take control of the game.

POD: Burger King+1.5 (PBA) L

POD: Burger King+1.5 vs. Coke (3K units) L

Preview: The KFC PBA Philippine Cup playoffs begin today at the Ynares Sports Center in Antipolo with four teams clashing in the initial stage of the tough wildcard plays to determine which team gets the last slot in the quarterfinals.

Sta. Lucia Realty mixes it up with Rain or Shine at 4 p.m. then Coca-Cola slugs it out with Burger King at 6:30 p.m. in Day One of the playoffs leading to the best-of-seven championship in late February or early March.

Landing in the lower half of the chart at the close of the double-round eliminations, the Realtors, the Elasto Painters, the Tigers and the Whoppers are now all after a backdoor entry to the quarters.

Only one of them will remain alive by Wednesday, gaining a crack at the semifinal round versus No. 3 seed Purefoods.
“The good thing about the tournament format is that you have a good chance to go all the way for as long as you’re not eliminated,” said Burger King coach Yeng Guiao.

The three other teams are also hopeful of their chances, including the Elasto Painters although they fared poorly in the elims, getting only four wins against 14 defeats.

In the first stage of the wildcard, the Elasto Painters are ranged against a Sta. Lucia team which narrowly missed an outright quarters berth with a 10-8 slate.

“Wildcard games are tough. Rain or Shine is a dangerous opponent but we have put the elims behind us and we’re looking forward to beat them,” said Sta. Lucia coach Boyet Fernandez.

Sta. Lucia beat Rain or Shine in two close games in the elims, scoring a 95-90 decision on Oct. 21 then repeating with a 95-91 win on Jan. 6.

The Elasto Painters have lost all their last four games, including a 94-95 heart-breaker to the Alaska Milk Aces Friday.

Coca-Cola and Burger King, meanwhile, split their two games in the elims with the Whoppers notching a 106-97 victory on Nov. 18 and the Tigers getting even at 106-94 on Dec. 13.

“We have to sustain our momentum in this crucial game. BK is tough but we are prepared and definitely aware of the consequences,” said Coca-Cola coach Bo Perasol.

“The Burger King-Coke battle is very interesting. We got involved in a trade deal that have made both teams better. The game will involve a lot of pride,” said Guiao.

Gary David and Chico Lanete are now with Coke while Alex Cabagnot and Wesley Gonzales are with BK.

“Wesley and Alex are blending well with us. We’re getting better with these two guys,” Guiao said.

POD: Coke pk (PBA) W

POD: Coke pk vs. Rain or Shine (5K units) W

Preview: With two games left in Coca-Cola’s PBA Philippine Cup schedule, newly reacquired Gary David said yesterday the Tigers are dead set to survive the double-round eliminations and advance to the wildcard playoffs.

David and Chico Lanete were traded by Burger King to Coca-Cola for Alex Cabagnot and Wesley Gonzales two weeks ago. They will make their first appearance in a Tigers uniform against Rain Or Shine at the Araneta Coliseum tonight.

David, 31, was Coca-Cola’s first round pick and 10th overall in the 2004 draft. He played two conferences with the Tigers then was dealt to Fed-Ex, later renamed Air-21 and Burger King.

Only one of the PBA’s 10 teams will not make it to the playoffs. Rain Or Shine (4-12), Coca-Cola (4-12) and Barako Bull (3-13) are battling to avoid an early vacation. The Elasto Painters play the Tigers tonight and Alaska on Jan. 22 in their remaining outings. Barako Bull faces Sta. Lucia Realty on Sunday and Coca-Cola on Wednesday to complete its schedule.
The Bulls-Tigers game could come down to a do-or-die knockout to decide which team will be eliminated.

“It’s an uphill climb,” said David. “Coach Bo (Perasol) is confident that we’ll be in the playoffs. We have to work hard to do it. Management has supported us all the way. It’s too bad Asi (Taulava) got injured. He missed nine games and we won only once without him. But he’s back. I’m excited to be back, too. Coach Bo and I were together for almost five years so I’m familiar with his system.”

Since Taulava’s reactivation, Coca-Cola has won three of five, beating Burger King, Alaska and San Miguel Beer while losing close decisions to Sta. Lucia Realty and Barangay Ginebra. David said things are falling into place.

“We just have to believe in ourselves,” said David. “It’s all about playing with a winning attitude.”

David said he doesn’t foresee a problem of sharing time with two-guard Mark Macapagal who’s hitting at a 13.8 clip.

“I can play two or three and Mark was my teammate in the PBL so we know each other well,” said David. “Besides, a lot of PBA teams are using three-guard lineups now so coach Bo can play Marvin (Cruz), Chico or Chris (Ross) at point guard, Mark at offguard and me or R. J. (Rizada) at small forward. We can become a running team with Asi controlling the boards.”

David said he can’t wait to play for the Tigers. He would’ve suited up against the Beermen last Wednesday but sat out a one-game suspension for committing a flagrant-2 foul in Burger King’s 85-74 loss to Purefoods last Dec. 25. Lanete also skipped the San Miguel contest, nursing a slight hamstring strain.

Perasol confirmed that David and Lanete will play tonight.

“We’re all excited,” said David. “Asi told me he’ll take care of the inside and I can operate in the perimeter and open court. Asi’s working very hard to make us a strong team. He’s helping out our big guys like Dennis Espino, Ken Bono, Larry Rodriguez and Ricky Calimag in the gym. He’s a very positive influence on all of us. Our veteran guards Rodney (Santos) and Dale (Singson) are also giving us advice at practice.”

David said playing for coach Yeng Guiao at Burger King was a big break in his career.

“I learned a lot from coach Yeng, particularly in becoming a complete player,” he said. “In his system, there are no superstars and I couldn’t just be an offensive player. I had to contribute in defense, too. In the PBA, you’ve got to be able to play both ends. You can’t be a one-sided player.”

David said stepping into a situation where Coca-Cola is fighting to stay alive is a challenge he’s ready to take with his new teammates.

“I’m a professional so when I was traded, I accepted it and looked forward to continue playing hard,” said David. “I know there’s pressure on our team to win but I’m not thinking of that. I’m not thinking I’m Gary David and I’m supposed to score a lot of points. I’ll be out there to play my role, work hard and do my part in coach Bo’s system.”

What’s inspiring David is his family.

Whenever he troops to the line for a free throw, David kisses a tattoo of his wife Jenny Rose on his right bicep - a ritual he started last conference.

“It’s good luck,” said David, referring to his free throw routine. “Jason Kidd used to do something similar, blowing a kiss before shooting a free throw. For a while, I stopped kissing the tattoo and just touched it with my right hand before shooting a free throw. But my shooting percentage went down, maybe because my right hand got sweaty so I’m back to kissing.”

Last season, David led the league in foul shots made and free throw percentage. This conference, he’s averaging 13.9 points and shooting .779 from the stripe. David has scored in double figures in nine of his last 10 outings.

David, a devoted family man, said he wants his wife and two daughters Maxine, 6, and Garielle, 2, in the stadium to watch all his games. “They come all the time,” he said. “When I’m playing in the first game, Maxine can’t watch because of her school but if it’s the second game, they’re all complete.”

POD: Ginebra-3.5 (PBA) W

I expect the injury-riddled Gin Kings to draw strength from the "Barangay" against a rejuvenated Coke team with Asi Taulava back to his old form.  The Gin Kings are also optimistic with the return of a 100% Jayjay Helterbrand from injury.

Check the PinoyCapper's Facebook page for the PinoyCapper's Choice pick.

POD: Coke vs. Ginebra-3.5 (3K units) W

Preview: Barangay Ginebra and Purefoods Tender Juicy, the league’s biggest crowd drawers, take on Coca-Cola and Burger King, respectively, in a special Christmas Day twinbill in the KFC PBA Philippine Cup at the Astrodome today.

The Giants and the Whoppers clash at 3 p.m. then the Kings and the Tigers collide at 5:30 p.m. in the tourney’s final playdate in the year about to end.

All four teams are raring to come out and wage a tough battle in search of a win that could give them the needed boost heading to the homestretch of the double-round elimination phase.
Ginebra and Purefoods, with similar 8-6 win-loss cards, are in pursuit of San Miguel Beer (12-3), Alaska Milk (11-2) and Talk n Text (10-5) in the race for the two outright semifinal berths.

Burger King, with a 5-9 win-loss slate, is still hoping to land at fifth place for an outright quarters seat while Coca-Cola, with a 3-11 record, hopes to gain slot in the wild card plays.

The Whoppers and the Tigers are down in the lower half of the chart but they’re setting out for today’s games riding the momentum of morale-boosting wins the last time out.

Coca-Cola stunned league leader Alaska Milk, 105-92, Sunday while Burger King upended Barako Bull, 102-99, Friday.

Both Ginebra and Purefoods, meanwhile, have lost their last two games.

“Every win counts. All teams are jockeying for spots. We like where we are at this point and we are upbeat on our chances despite the fact that we dropped our last two games,” said Purefoods coach Ryan Gregorio.

“We have to build confidence. If we can get that, we can compete with the best of them,” said BK coach Yeng Guiao.

Barely up on tail-ender Barako Bull, Coca-Cola coach Bo Perasol said all they want at this point is the positive mindset that they can compete with any team.

“We want to be able to compete. Winning is a bonus,” said Perasol.

The Tigers are back in the prowl with Asi Taulava returning from a long layoff.

Taulava had a near triple-double game in leading the Tigers past the Aces.

The Tigers are slugging it out with the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters (4-10) and the Barako Bull Energy Boosters (2-12) to avoid last place which means outright elimination.

POD: Coke+6.5 (PBA) L

POD: Coke+6.5 vs. Ginebra (3K units) L

PBA Odds Advisory: For the past few games, the local bookies have made significant adjustments in the line. I advise you to bet at Bet365 if you will play the FAVES while the local books if you will play the DOGS. Click here to sign-up for a FREE account and a 100% deposit bonus.

PBA Friday Results:
27 Nov 14:30 - San Miguel (96) vs Smart Gilas (109)
27 Nov 17:00 - Talk N Text (118) vs Burger King (105)
27 Nov 19:30 - Coca-Cola Tigers (104) vs Ginebra (113)

POD: Rain or Shine-1.5 (PBA) W

POD: Rain or Shine-1.5 vs. Coke (3K units) W

PBA Wednesday Results:
25 Nov 17:00 - Rain Or Shine (92) vs Coca-Cola Tigers (84)
25 Nov 19:30 - Ginebra (72) vs Talk N Text (87)

PBA Odds Advisory: For the past few games, the local bookies have made significant adjustments in the line. I advise you to bet at Bet365 if you will play the FAVES while the local books if you will play the DOGS. Click here to sign-up for a FREE account and a 100% deposit bonus.

POD: Sta. Lucia-2.5 (PBA) W

POD: Sta. Lucia-2.5 vs. Burger King (3K units) W

Bet on PBA games and watch the live streaming for FREE @ Bet365


PBA Odds Advisory: For the past few games, the local bookies have made significant adjustments in the line. I advise you to bet at Bet365 if you will play the FAVES while the local books if you will play the DOGS. Click here to sign-up for a FREE account and a 100% deposit bonus.

Other leans:

• Purefoods-5.5 vs. Coke