PBL finalists tune up

Defending champion Welcoat Paints and Fash Liquid Power take on Sunkist University of Santo Tomas and Blustar Detergent, respectively, in a pair of non-bearing games today as the two brace for a grudge title duel in the PBL Platinum Cup at the Pasig Sports Center.

Banking on contrasting victories Tuesday, the Paint Masters face the Tigers at 3:30 p.m. while the Liquid Power clash with the Detergent Kings at 1:30 p.m. in the penultimate day of the semifinals hoping to warm up for their best-of-five title showdown next week.

With the power-playing Marc Pingris doing most of the damage, Welcoat smashed Blustar, 75-64, while Fash, the 2003 Unity Cup champion, edged Sunkist-UST, 87-86, courtesy of June Peter Simon’s game-winner with 5.8 seconds remaining.

Their wins reduced their last two assignments to mere workouts as the Paint Masters and the Liquid Power are already far from reach with 12-4 and 11-5 (win-loss) slates, respectively. The Detergent Kings and the Tigers both carry 8-8 records.

Fash coach Junel Baculi is just happy they made it to the finals this early and he hopes to use their remaining games to experiment on his rotation and some new plays he might employ in their projected title match-up with Welcoat, his former team.

"Maganda na rin ‘yung nangyari kasi hindi na kami masyadong kakabahan at alam na namin kung sino ang paghahandaan namin sa finals," said Baculi, who already has six titles tuck at his belt including four from Welcoat and two for the Lamoiyan franchise.

Welcoat mentor Leo Austria, for his part, is just excited to take on his former coach again.

"I’m happy and excited," said Austria, who once played under Baculi as player in 1996 and worked as an assistant in the late 90s.