Critical outings for Llamados, Kings; both hope to stay in contention

Defending champion B-Meg Derby Ace and Barangay Ginebra can’t afford to lose on Sunday if they hope to stay in contention in the PBA Philippine Cup. With their backs against the wall, the two most popular ball clubs in the league face identical must-win scenarios in their respective semifinals series at the Araneta Coliseum. The Kings eye a breakthrough win in their best-of-seven match up with the No. 2 seeded Beermen who currently lead at 2-0. A Game 3 win at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday would practically have San Miguel wrapping up the semifinals match to clinch a Finals berth. “I think if we can get Sunday’s game, it pretty much takes the fight out of them (Kings)," admitted Jay Washington, one of two San Miguel stalwarts who torched Ginebra for 29 points in a 108-102 Game 2 win on Friday, sending the Kings into a deeper hole in the playoffs. And as the series wears on, San Miguel is just getting better, said rookie coach Ato Agustin. “We only need minor adjustments in our defense. Especially on how to defend their pick-and-roll," said Agustin. “We’re not yet thinking of sweeping the series, rather we’re focusing on Sunday’s game." For Ginebra mentor Jong Uichico, being down two games in a series is nothing new to his team. “We’ve been here before. All we need to do is for us to work harder. As long as we put out the effort, something good is going to happen." Twice in the last four years, the Kings found themselves trailing 0-2 in a series, yet still managed to wiggle their way out and prevail. During the 2007 Philippine Cup Finals, Ginebra won four straight games against San Miguel to win the title after losing the first two matches. And then just last year, they were also down 0-2 against the Tropang Texters in their best-of-five Philippine Cup quarterfinals, only to bounce back and win the next three games – including the walkout-marred Game 4 – to clinch the series. Washington knows too well Ginebra’s penchant for the dramatic, that’s why he’s not yet ruling out the team known for its never-say-die spirit. “This series isn’t over. We still have to go out for two more wins." Derby Ace also needs to focus on its game after getting badly beaten in Game 3 by Talk ‘N Text, 78-92, to fall a 2-1 deficit in their own semifinals series. The defending champions hardly got anything from top gunners James Yap and Peter June Simon, who were held to a combined 17 points by the Tropang Texters’ defense. Yap, the two-time league MVP, was hounded all night by Jimmy Alapag and finished with just nine points on a 4-of-13 shooting including 0-for-6 from three-point range. Simon was also limited to single digits, eight markers, as the Tropang Texters' defense allowed him just seven attempts at the basket, two nights after he exploded for 26 points in the Llamados’ 88-87 Game 2 win. Talk ‘N Text coach Chot Reyes said his team will apply a similar game plan in their 4 p.m. encounter. “If we can play the same type of defense that we had in Game Three, then we have a good chance (at winning Game 4). There’s no secret in our game plan, we should be able to control Simon." – JVP, KY, GMANews.TV