Struggling Ginebra, SMB try new imports

Both Barangay Ginebra and San Miguel Beer gamble on new imports as they seek to salvage whatever is left in their respective bids in the San Mig Coffee PBA Fiesta Cup classification round at the Astrodome today.

Ginebra is tapping former Golden State Warrior Chris Porter while San Miguel is enlisting returning PBA import Kevin Freeman as they take on Talk n Text and Alaska, respectively, for the last three playdates of the classifications.

The Kings and the Beermen put on the reserve list Sean Lampley and Kwan Johnson.

The Kings and the Phone Pals clash in the 4:40 p.m. opener with both setting their sights on an outright semifinals seat while the Beermen and the Aces battle at 7:25 p.m. each one seeking to avoid the survivor playoff.

Losing their last three games and thus sliding to fifth place in the standings with a 7-7 win-loss record, the Kings need to sweep their last two assignments to have a crack at an early entry into the semis.

With a second-best 8-6 slate, the Phone Pals, on the other hand, need just a single win in their last two games for a guaranteed playoff berth for an outright semis seat. Talk n Text would take the top seeding should it sweep its last two games — against Ginebra and San Miguel.

With identical 6-8 records, the Beermen and the Aces are now both out to salvage a playoff for an outright quarterfinals seat.

But the initial goal of both teams is to avoid the survivor playoff between the No. 8 and No. 9 squads after the double-round classification phase.

The Beermen are gambling on Freeman although they have won all their last five games with Johnson. Freeman is at least two inches taller than Johnson as he was measured yesterday by league physician Ben Salud at 6-foot-5 9/16.

Porter, on the other hand, was measured at 6-foot-5 3/8.

The Ginebra coaching staff was forced to find a new import since Lampley was slowed down by injury. The team has lost all its three games, including the last one against San Miguel, which the Kings played minus main man Eric Menk.

The Kings suspended Menk then for missing one practice without prior notice, but has since reinstated the player in time for this crucial tiff with the Phone Pals.

Purefoods clinched the first automatic semis slot, and teams left to dispute the other semis berth are Talk n Text, Air21, Red Bull Barako and Giñebra.