Beermen seek first semis seat vs Bulls

MANILA, Philippines - League leader San Miguel Beer takes the first of three cracks at an outright semifinal berth as it plays tail-ender Barako Bull in the KFC PBA Philippine Cup at the Cuneta Astrodome today.

The star-studded Beermen, who lead the pack with a 12-3 (win-loss) card, are the heavy favorites against the Energy Boosters, who are on a slump in their last 10 games covering a period of over two months.

SMB, on the other hand, has won 12 of its last 13 games in an amazing romp that moved the team in the threshold of an automatic semifinal entry.

San Miguel coach Siot Tanquingcen said they would never leave anything to chance as they go for a semis clincher versus the Energy Boosters in their 5 p.m. encounter.

Sta. Lucia and Burger King, meanwhile, square off at 7:30 p.m. with the Realtors looking to improve their bid for the Top Five and the Whoppers out to clinch an outright slot in the wildcard round.

The Realtors, at 8-6, are in pursuit of the Purefoods Giants (9-6), the Barangay Ginebra Kings (10-6), the Talk n Text Tropang Texters (10-6), the Alaska Milk Aces (11-2) and the Beermen (12-3).

The Whoppers, at 5-10, on the other hand, pace the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters (4-11), the Coca-Cola Tigers (3-12) and the Energy Boosters (2-12) in their battle for wildcard berths.

Alex Cabagnot makes his first appearance with the Whoppers as they take on the Realtors in a crucial match.

BK coach Yeng Guiao said they effected some changes in their lineup with hopes of shaking things up.

“We’ve tried everything. We fought hard, but it’s still not enough to translate to victories. We felt we really needed to make a gamble at this stage,” said Guiao.

The Whoppers also re-acquired the services of Wesley Gonzales in exchange for Gary David and Chico Lanete.

“This is our last push. If we don’t make the necessary changes right away, we might not be able to make the playoffs. I think Alex Cabagnot is worth the gamble,” said Guiao.

SLR coach Boyet Fernandez said they’re also determined to make good in the closing phase of the double-round eliminations to get a shot at an outright quarters seat.

“If we want easy passage to the quarters, we need to win all our last four games. I think it’s doable. We take it one game at a time,” said Fernandez.