HIGHLY-CHARGED Coffee Mixers – Aces Battle Seen

It’s San Mig Coffee versus Alaska in what’s easily the most volatile matchup in the PBA Governors’ Cup Final Eight.

These two teams figured in a near free-for-all in a pre-conference game and engaged in a highly emotional, highly physical battle in their elimination-round tiff on Sept. 10.

It could well be a battle everyone will love to see as the Mixers and the Aces fight it out for a slot in the semifinals of the season-ending tourney.

San Mig Coffee and Alaska face off at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The Mixers are in pursuit of a second straight Governors’ Cup Finals stint while the Aces are in chase of a follow-up to their Commissioner’s Cup title conquest.

Coach Tim Cone and his troops, however, have a big advantage over the Aces with their twice-to-beat incentive earned for their second-place finish behind the Petron Blaze Boosters in the elimination round.

The Mixers logged a 6-3 win-loss record in the elims as against the Aces’ 4-5 mark.

Nonetheless, Cone is very much wary of his former lieutenant Luigi Trillo and his former team Alaska.

Bolts Go For Short Work Of Energy Through ‘D’

FORTUNE, coupled with some blue-collar attitude, enabled Barako Bull to escape Meralco’s clutches the first time they met.

The Energy will need both of those and much more when they collide anew with the Bolts Wednesday at the start of the PBA Governors’ Cup quarterfinals at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

For finishing third at the end of the nine-game eliminations Meralco enjoys a twice-to-beat advantage over sixth-seed Barako, but Bolts coach Ryan Gregorio is not too concerned about rankings since he knows the Energy have the tools to repeat their 90-89 squeaker in their initial faceoff last Aug. 18.

Barako’s arsenal is led by Mike Singletary, who is averaging a league-best 36.0 points per game.

“We are up against the best scorer in the league in Mike Singletary. Our defense, which brought us to where we are right now will be tested to the hilt,” said Gregorio.

“We are not taking any chances. Barako is such a dangerous team. Our lockdown defensive mentality must be present at all times.”

To further prop their bid of making short work of the Energy and advance to the semifinals for only the second time in franchise history the Bolts are also set to suit up Jared Dillinger for the first time in the conference.

Black says TnT needs to play with 'real fire' to survive death match vs Ginebra

WHETHER they play each other 24 hours or 48 hours after, it still doesn’t make any difference for either Barangay Ginebra or Talk `N Text.

“I don’t think it will have much effect on the game as both teams are dealing with the same situation,” said Tropang Texters coach Norman Black after their sudden-death game with the Kings on Monday for the last quarterfinals berth in the PBA Governors Cup was postponed for a day.

The two teams were supposed to meet again a day after Talk `N Text's 113-99 win over Ginebra on Sunday night, until bad weather brought about by monsoon rain forced the league to move the game to Tuesday instead.

So instead of enjoying the win for about `an hour’ as Black and the Texters originally planned, they got the whole of Monday to savor what the Talk `N Text coach considered as the team’s most intense game in the season-ending conference.

“Last game was the first time we played with real fire this conference,” he admitted.

Aguilar ruled out of Ginebra do-or-die game as lingering pain sets back recovery

JAPETH Aguilar has been ruled out of Barangay Ginebra's do-or-die game against Talk 'N Text on Tuesday evening because of stinging pain in his knee that has set back his recovery from an MCL sprain.

The athletic big man has already been given a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection in a bid to hasten his recovery, but his agent said the earliest he could return is the semifinals of the PBA Governors Cup - that is, if Ginebra can get that far.

Aguilar has expressed his frustration over the development, having set his sights on an early return. But information reached Spin.ph that famed orthopedic surgeon Jose Raul Canlas has yet to give him the go signal to return due to the lingering pain in his knee.

“Ayoko ng ganito. Nahihirapan ako panoorin yung team ko," said the newly acquired slotman on the eve of the Gin Kings' sudden-death match against the Texters for the eighth and last spot in the playoffs.

"Ang sakit sa pakiramdam nung alam ko na kailangan na ako ng teammates ko tapos andun ako sa bench naka civilian clothes,” added Aguilar in gloomy tone.

Dillinger in race to get back in game shape ahead of Meralco debut

HE may be physically present at Meralco, but Jared Dillinger is obviously not yet in game shape.

Playing in his first practice game with his new team, Dillinger struggled trying to find his way in the system of the Bolts, who acquired his services via a three-team trade last June.

“I was getting stuck in the air a couple of times, just got to find that rhythm back,” Dillinger bared to Spin.ph. “My legs, everything felt cold.”

“It’s just kinda grinding through the initial stages of the whole shock of coming back and playing organized basketball. But it definitely feels good,” he added.

The former Texter, though, vowed to be one hundred ready when he makes his debut for Meralco on Wednesday opposite Barako Bull at the start of the PBA Governors Cup quarterfinals.

“I am a hundred percent now. I’ll just get my timing and get to know my teammates and make sure I play on the same page with them,” said the former Gilas Pilipinas wingman.

Dillinger took extra thirty minutes of practice to improve his shooting.

“I need to do this. This is the best way to prepare myself. I won’t relax,” said Dillinger, who now sports a long hair and beard, prompting teammates to call him `Wolverine’ after the popular character from the X-Men saga.

From San Miguel star, Banchero becomes hot Tanduay property after signing dea

A STAR guard of San Miguel Corp. before, now the franchise player of SMC’s rival company.

Highly-touted Chris Banchero formally signed up for Boracay Rum on Monday, easily making him the team’s top attraction in the coming PBA D-League Foundation Cup.

“Yes, Chris’ contract with us has been signed, sealed, and delivered. Banchero is now Tanduay’s property,” Boracay Rum head coach Lawrence Chongson disclosed to Spin.ph.

“Negotiations did not go well in our first meeting pero in the end, we agreed to a compromise,” added Chongson, considered as the most trusted man in the team by Tanduay big boss Bong Tan.

Chongson divulged Banchero, who played for Asean Basketball League (ABL) reigning champion San Miguel, will be receiving the league's maximum allowable salary of P30,000 a month. On top of the nine-month contract he signed, the 6-foot-1 Fil-Italian is also getting food, housing, and transportation allowances.

“I am a man of my word. I told Chris, maliit talaga ang salary cap sa D-League. Pero kung may kailangan siya, ako na mismo tutulong sa kanya,” revealed Chongson, who vowed to shoulder the extra expenses that his top rookie will incur during his stint with the team.

Picking Up The Cudgels

JAY Washington couldn’t have picked a better time to dish out one sterling performance.


With GlobalPort’s first-ever playoffs appearance on the line the veteran forward came through with a career game to earn the Accel-PBA Player of the Week for the period Sept. 16 to 22.

Washington poured in 30 points on top of 14 rebounds, five blocks and two assists in leading the Batang Pier past Barangay Ginebra, 113-106, in overtime last Friday and into the quarterfinals for the first time in the Mike Romero-owned franchise’s young history.

“Jay-Wash has been struggling our past few games and the way he rose to the challenge is a clear sign of how good a player he is,” said GlobalPort coach Junel Baculi.

“He didn’t let his recent funk get him down,” added Baculi. “Instead, he took the challenge by the horn and came out a winner.”

So did GlobalPort as it finished the eliminations with a 4-5 win-loss slate to eventually land a No. 5 seeding in the last eight, an unfamiliar territory for the Batang Pier, who wound up 10th and last in their first two conferences with the league.