Aces, Texters vow to end it to avoid rubber

Alaska Milk and Talk n Text take a second attempt today to finish off Sta. Lucia Realty and San Miguel Beer in their KFC PBA Philippine Cup semifinals showdowns at the Astrodome.

Beaten in Game Five, the Aces and the Tropang Texters remain in the lead but are now pressed to win to avoid a sudden death.

The Realtors and the Beermen played with great resolve Friday to extend both series to another game.

“We need to get our players better prepared to play or this series is going to get away from us. As we’ve been saying, it’s going to come down to concentration and focus, and matching Sta. Lucia’s energy,” said Alaska coach Tim Cone.

Talk n Text coach Chot Reyes, too, is now warier of San Miguel.

For one, the Tropang Texters will be playing Game Six minus Yancy De Ocampo who’s suspended for his flagrant foul on Danny Seigle Friday.

The Beermen, survivors from the wildcard phase, have gone 4-0 in do-or-die contests in the tourney after ducking the Texters’ first knockout attempt.

“There’s nothing miraculous there. We’re just trying our best. We have no other choice,” said San Miguel coach Siot Tanquingcen.

The youthful San Miguel mentor, however, bared he had resorted to reading a Bible passage to his team as they’re back on the brink of elimination.

“It somehow typifies our campaign. It says ‘we have to rejoice in our sufferings as our sufferings produce perseverance, perseverance produces character, and character produces hope,’” said Tanquingcen.

San Miguel beat Talk n Text, 125-115, in Game Five curiously on the Texters’ own game – up-tempo.

Marc Pingris and Jay Washington imposed their strength at the paint, getting the rebounds that fueled the Beermen’s running game producing 25 fastbreak points as against the Texters’ mere six.

Meanwhile, Sta. Lucia coach Boyet Fernandez essentially rotated only six men in Joseph Yeo, Denok Miranda, Kelly Williams, Dennis Espino, Ryan Reyes and Nelbert Omolon, and the gamble paid off with the Realtors stopping the Aces, 81-74, in Game Five of their own series.

“We lived to fight another game but we’re still down by two games. We’ll still take it one game at a time,” said Fernandez. “I’m so glad the guys didn’t give up, overcoming challenge. I hope we end our pattern of playing bad after a won game.

“Maybe, we can do it preparing ourselves mentally more than physically,” Fernandez added.