Beermen stake unblemished record vs Gin Kings

DEFENDING champion San Miguel Beer will try to keep an immaculate record as it collides with the skidding Barangay Ginebra San Miguel in the Philippine Basketball Association ( PBA) Season 43 Philippine Cup today at the Araneta Coliseum.

Still undefeated after five games, the Beermen gun for their sixth straight win in their 6:45 p.m. encounter with the undermanned Gin Kings, who will try to end a three-game slide.

In the opener, GlobalPort battles Meralco at 4:30 p.m.

San Miguel Beer coach Leo Austria expects Ginebra to come out aggressive as it does not want to fall lower in the team standings.

“They are now below .500 and they are coming from a three-game losing streak that’s why this game is a must win for them. And you never know what will happen if Ginebra is your opponent especially if the crowd gets involved. So, we must be ready,” said Austria, who is going to play without Alex Cabagnot who is nursing a plantar fasciitis.

“We are just hoping that they are still in the period of adjustment when we play them on Sunday. I still don’t know if Greg (Slaughter) can play. But you cannot count that team out,” added the 59-year-old five-time PBA champion coach.

Reserve guard Brian Heruela stepped up big for the Beermen in their 107-93 win over Batang Pier last time out, posting 17 points, five assists and six steals to back up his former college teammate and fourtime Most Valuable Player June Mar Fajardo, who finished with 34 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks against GlobalPort.

Slaughter sat out his second straight game due to injury and his absence has cost Ginebra two games. The seven-foot center is averaging 20.6 points, 10.3 rebounds and 3.3 blocks in three games.

Gin Kings head coach Tim Cone said Slaughter is a game-time decision although he attended the team’s Saturday practice.

“With the hamstring injury, you can’t do any running or anything. He hasn’t run for almost two weeks or over a week. So, I don’t think it is prudent for us to make him go out there and play when he is out of shape especially against a June Mar ( Fajardo) so we’re going to think long and harder whether we’re going to allow him to play him on Sunday,” he said.

At 2-3 win-loss record, the grand slam coach doesn’t consider the game against San Miguel Beer a showdown yet.

“This is not a showdown. This is an elimination game. We are going to play the best we can, we know how good they are and we know how well they are playing. And they know how bad we were playing,” Cone explained.

Meanwhile, Meralco seeks backto- back wins as it takes on GlobalPort. The 2-3 Bolts try to sustain their charge after routing Kia 105-76 last Wednesday.

“It is another crucial game between two teams fighting to stay in the playoff hunt,” said Meralco coach Norman Black. “Offensively, we just want to continue to play with the teamwork we displayed against Kia last game.”

The Batang Pier are also carrying a 2-3 win-loss record.