By WAYLON GALVEZ

(Ilocos Norte Centennial Arena)
5 p.m. — Ginebra vs Meralco

MANILA, Philippines — Whether Meralco’s pre-season build-up is good enough will be known Friday when the Bolts battle the Barangay Ginebra Kings at the start of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Ilocos Norte Centennial Arena.

The lone out-of-town game presented by Phoenix Fuel is set at 5 p.m. with both teams determined to get off to a flying start.

Soon after Meralco was eliminated in its debut conference in thePhilippine Cup where the Bolts were ousted in two games by then reigning champion B-Meg Derby Ace Llamados during the best-of-three quarterfinals, the management immediately worked on several deals.

The team was able to obtain ace playmaker Sol Mercado from Rain or Shine in a three-team trade that also included veteran forward Erick Rodriguez. Also added was threepoint specialist Ren-Ren Ritualo and Reynel Hugnatan.

In the process, the Bolts gave up Beau Belga (to Rain or Shine), Reed Juntilla (to Air21), and the pair of Hans Thiele and Paolo Bugia to Alaska in the Hugnatan deal.

“We practically have a new team with five new players (including import Anthony Danridge),” Meralco mentor Ryan Gregorio said. “We’ve been trying to fast-track the whole process. I like our build-up process and my wish is to come up with a solid team.”

“Danridge is best suited in our fast break game, he’s quickly learning to adapt to our system, while Sol is incredible. Great skills and displays unbelievable will to win. The more games we play together the better we will be,” he added.

A product of University of Mexico, Danridge won the Slam Dunk title in the NCAA two years back. The 24-year-old guard recently played in Lebanon where he averaged 28 points with five rebounds per game.

Gregorio expects Danridge to lead the charge with mainstay Marc Cardona and Mercado running the offense, while backing them up are veterans Asi Taulava, Nelber Omolon, Gabby Espinas, Chris Ross and Mark Isip.

“It’s always tough to play against Ginebra. They are complete in all fronts. We just want to stay close and grab it in the end,” Gregorio said.

Unlike Meralco, the Ginebra Kings did not make any changes with their roster, except of course the addition of import Nate Brumfield, who at 6-foot-4 is comfortable playing inside the shaded lane as a power forward.

MANILA, Philippines – Barangay Ginebra hopes to ride the momentum of their Sunday rout of San Miguel Beer while Talk n Text and B-Meg Derby Ace go for the crucial win in a virtual best-of-three in the Final Four of the PBA Philippine Cup at the Araneta Coliseum tonight.

The Gin Kings and the Llamados pulled off convincing victories over the Beermen and the Tropang Texters, respectively, last Sunday that somehow changed the complexion of the two series.

Although the Gin Kings still trail the Beermen, 1-2, the crowd favorites hope to sustain their romp after their 95-78 rout in Game Four and send the series back to where it started last week.

San Miguel Beer takes a second shot at the pivotal third win versus Barangay Ginebra at 5 p.m. while B-MEG Derby Ace and Talk n Text break their 2-2 standoff at 7:30 p.m.

SMB coach Ato Agustin hopes the Sunday rout would serve as a reminder on the kind of rival they face in Ginebra.

“Maybe, it’s better that we feel the pressure so that we realize semifinals is a big deal specially when you’re up against Ginebra,” said SMB coach Ato Agustin. “We’re so relaxed. We didn’t match their energy.”

Agustin said they can’t afford to lose again in their 5 p.m. encounter with Ginebra, a team that gets tougher when the chips are down.

“As it is, they’re tough to play. We beat them in our first four meetings in the conference but those were close games,” said Agustin.

Ginebra coach Jong Uichico remains confident they can get going again and draw even at 2-2.

“We’ve realized what we need to do, and hopefully we can do the same Wednesday (today). It’s still a tough climb but at least we’re still here to do the climbing,” said Uichico.

The Kings spread the floor and ran their patterns well as they stopped San Miguel’s charge and avoided to fall into a 0-3 hole.

“They surprised us with their adjustments. They ran good pick-and-roll plays. We’ve made our own adjustments and we’ll see in Game Four,” said Agustin.

The other semis series set at 7:30 p.m. is down to a best-of-three affair, and the protagonists are likely to go hard against each other.

“In a best-of-three, Game One is always the key,” said Derby Ace coach Jorge Gallent, whose Llamados surprised the fancied Texters with 98-93 victory, also last Sunday.

“It’s now a best-of-three series and it boils down to who can execute (their plays),” said Talk n Text coach Chot Reyes.

Meanwhile, PBA commissioner Chito Salud yesterday vouched for the integrity of game officials working the semifinal series.

“All the games so far this season have been won on merits and our referees have been and will continue to be a non-factor in deciding the outcome of the games,” Salud said.

As proof to it, Salud announced the removal of three game officials from the 12-man pool that was formed to work in the playoffs.

He clarified the three officials are not the same officials who officiated Game 4 of the Derby Ace-TnT series Sunday.

Salud said the primary purpose of assembling the 12-man pool assigned to work the playoffs is “to ensure that only the most proficient will be officiating until the championship series.”

The league commissioner identified the sacked officials as Dennis Barbacena, Ronald Mauricio and Ariel Bermeo. Only Bermeo worked Game 4 between B-Meg and TnT.

January 5, 2011 (Araneta Coliseum)
5:00 p.m. B-Meg Derby Ace vs. Talk ‘N Text
7:30 p.m. San Miguel Beer vs. Barangay Ginebra

ITUTURING ni coach Vincent “Chot” Reyes na ngayon pa lamang mag-uumpisa ang best-of-seven semifinals series ng PBA Philippine Cup sa pagitan ng kanyang Talk ‘N Text at defending champion B-Meg Derby Ace bagamat napanalunan na nila ang Game One.

Iyan ang mindset ng Tropang Texters papasok sa Game Two kontra Llamados sa ganap na 5 p.m. sa Araneta Coliseum sa Quezon City.

Sa ikalawang laro sa ganap na 7:30 p.m. ay magsasagupa ang sister teams San Miguel Beer at Barangay Ginebra sa Game One ng kanilang semifinals series.

“We really want to start the new year right. In fact, we’re not counting Game One anymore. We consider Game Two as the start of the series. We want to come out strong,”ani Reyes. “It’s 2011. We put behind us whatever happened in 2010. Our thinking is that we’re starting from scratch and we’ll try to establish momentum.”

Napanalunan ng Talk ‘N Text ang Game One, 98-91, noong Disyembre 26 sa kabayanihan ni Jimmy Alapag na nakakumpleto ng four-point play sa foul ni Jonas Villanueva sa huling dalawang minuto. Si Alapag ay nagtapos nangmay 20 puntos.

Nabalewala ang 36-point performance ng reigning Most Valuable Player na si James Yap na umaasang manunumbalik ang tikas ni Peter June Simon na nalimita sa 14 puntos sa Game One.

Inaasahan din ni B-Meg Derby Ace coach George Gallent na makakabalik sa active duty ang starting point guard na si Roger Yap na hindi nakapaglaro sa Game One bunga ng injury.

Bukod kay Alapag, si Reyes ay umaasa rin kina Harvey Carey, Ali Peek, Kelly Williams at Ranidel de Ocampo.

Samantala, bahagyang pinapaboran ang San Miguel Beer laban sa Barangay Ginebra dahil sa dalawang beses na naungusan ng Beermen ang Gin Kings sa elimination round. Unang nanaig ang Beermen, 69-68, noong Oktubre 17. Nakaulit sila, 79-78 noong Nobyembre 21

Target ng San Miguel na muling mamamyagpag sa Philippine Cup. Huling nagwagi ang Beermen sa conference na ito noong 2001 nang talunin ng Beermen sa Finals ang Gin Kings, 4-2.

Nakarating ang Gin Kings sa Finals nang magwagi sila kontra Alaska Milk sa rubbermatch ng kanilang best-of-three quarterfinals series noong Araw ng Pasko.

Ang San Miguel, na ngayo’y hawak ng rookie coach na si Renato Agustin, ay sumasandig kina Arwind Santos, Jay Washington, Dondon Hontiveros, Danny Seigle at Danilo Ildefonso.

Gametime: 5:00 P.M.
Barako Bull +8.5 vs Ginebra -8.5 Totals(180.5)

Gametime: 7:30 P.M.
Air21 +6.5 vs Alaska -6.5 Totals(182.5)

Gametime: 5:00 P.M.
Ginebra vs Powerade +4.5 Totals(180.5)

Gametime: 6:00 P.M.
Meralco (Formerly Sta. Lucia) +2.5 vs Ginebra (180.5)

Gametime: 4:00 PM
Rain Or Shine +4.5 vs Derby Ace -4.5 (168.5)

Gametime: 6:30 PM
Alaska +0.0 vs Ginebra +0.0 (178.5)

Gametime: 5:00 PM
Ginebra vs Alaska +1.5 Totals(180.5)

Gametime: 7:30 PM
Derby Ace vs Rain Or Shine +4.5 Totals(178.5)

Gametime: 5:00 PM
Rain Or Shine +6.5 vs Derby Ace -6.5 Totals(165.5)

Gametime: 7:30 PM
Alaska +3.5 vs Ginebra -3.5 Totals(175.5)

Gametime: 4:00 PM
Ginebra -1.5 vs Alaska +1.5 Totals(180.5)

Gametime: 6:30 PM
Derby Ace -4.5 vs Rain Or Shine +4.5 Totals(178.5)