Kings cautious of hungry Elite

Games Tuesday (Smart Araneta Coliseum)

4:15 p.m. – Kia vs Globalport

7 p.m. – Ginebra vs Blackwater

MANILA, Philippines – Barangay Ginebra is wary Blackwater is due for a win after losing three close games, and the Kings vow not to let their guards down as they face the Elite in the PBA Philippine Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum tonight.

Ginebra coach Jeff Cariaso expects Blackwater to get its breakthrough win anytime soon, saying: “it’s our job to make sure it’s not against us.”

“They have hardnosed players who play tough on both ends. I like their big lineup with (Jason) Ballesteros, (JP) Erram and (Bam) Gamalinda. Our bigs will be challenged,” Cariaso also said.

Ginebra, stopped by NLEX the last time out, and Blackwater play at 7 p.m. succeeding the 4:15 p.m. tiff between Globalport and Kia, teams which are both eying a second win against two losses.

“Ginebra is strong, but we have to believe in ourselves that we can upset the,” said Blackwater coach Leo Isaac, a Ginebra stalwart in the team’s glory days under playing coach Robert Jaworski.

Blackwater’s 0-3 record could have been 3-0 as the Elite just blew away big leads in losses to the Kia Sorento and the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters then lost a crack at winning their last game against the Meralco Bolts on a crucial call by the refs.

With these losses, the Elite’s determination is not about to waver.

Before bowing to Meralco, 75-83, in overtime, the Elite came close to pulling the rug from under the Bolts in regulation play.

The Elite pulled even at 70 on a 3-pointer by Gamalinda with 14.8 seconds to go in regulation, then had a chance to steal the game as Ballesteros grabbed an important defensive rebound with four seconds left.

Ballesteros immediately sued for a player’s timeout but the referees apparently missed it and instead ruled a jump ball between Ballesteros and Sean Anthony a little later.

 The 6-foot-7 Blackwater center won the tap but the ball went out of bounds as time expired, thus sending the game into five extra minutes.

Meanwhile, NLEX threw Ginebra off with a shifting defense and completely took over the game in the payoff period in hammering out a 97-81 stunner.

Before that downfall, the Gin Kings were impressive in a 101-81 rout of the Talk n Text Tropang Texters and in an 87-55 massacre of the Sorento.