Kings try to push Bulls to the brink

Barangay Ginebra hopes to push Red Bull to a hole no other team has come out of while Air21 and Magnolia battle for the lead in Game Three of the Smart PBA Fiesta Conference best-of-seven semifinal round at the Ynares Center in Antipolo today.

Sizzling on a 10-game romp, the Kings go for their third straight win against the Bulls.

“If we can do it, then they will really be in a lot of trouble,” said Ginebra coach Jong Uichico in their bid to take a three-game-to-nil lead over the embattled Bulls in their 7:20 p.m. tiff.

But at the moment, Uichico said they still have to take Red Bull with caution,  wary of the character coach Yeng Guiao has instilled in his team,

Another concern for Ginebra is the one-game suspension drawn by Alex Crisano for his flagrant foul infraction against Jojo Duncil Wednesday. The Fil-Am behemoth was also fined P20,000.

Ginebra dominated Red Bull in the first two games but Uichico felt the Bulls fared a lot better with some adjustments in their game Wednesday. The unassuming Ginebra mentor expects the Bulls to wage a tougher battle in Game Three.

The Kings themselves have experienced trailing 0-2 in a best-of-seven series but survived and went on to win the 2007 All-Filipino championship over the San Miguel Beermen (now Magnolia Beverage Masters).

“It’s not the safest lead in any way. We still have to take care of things,” said Uichico, whose charges walloped the Bulls with an average winning margin of 16.5 points in the first two games.

But the  Red Bull mentor feels they have a chance to stop Ginebra if Adam Parada can regain his old form.

“When you get to the playoffs, you should elevate your level of play. In the case of our import, his game dipped instead and it told on on the team, in general,” said Guiao.

Parada averaged 21.7 points, 15.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.8 blocks in the elimination round, leading Red Bull to an 11-7 record, a second place finish and an automatic semis berth alongside elims topnotcher Air21. In the first two games in the semis, Parada struggled with averages of only 11 points and 9.5 rebounds.

On the other hand, Air21 and Magnolia, tied with a game apiece in the other Final Four pairing, couldn’t ask for more from their imports.

“I would like to think our confidence is back. It’s not the numbers of Steve (Thomas) that make the difference. It’s his presence, the confidence he gives his teammates, knowing he’s right there. Everybody else is confident, going through what we did in the 12 wins we had in the eliminations,” said coach Bo Perasol after his troops got even with Magnolia following the return of Thomas Wednesday.

Meanwhile, four teams – split into two divisions – will dispute the First National Hoops 3-on-3 basketball championship in a pair of games serving as the appetizer to the PBA semis matches.

JARC and SHS-J will contest the Junior Varsity championship (13-15 years old) while PCU Dolphins will challenge Team Moley for the varsity title (16-19 years) of the event held under the auspices of National Hoops USA and supported by the PBA.

The National Hoops finale starts at 3:30 p.m. starting with the junior varsity game. Each game will be played for 10 minutes.