Mga Laro Ngayon
(Ynares Sports Arena)
Game 3 of Best-of-3 Semifinals
3 n.h. – Café France vs Racal
5 n.h. -- Cignal vs Tanduay
APAT na koponan. Dalawang ‘do-or-die’. Dalawang slot sa championship round.
Nag-uumapaw ang kasabikan ng mga tagahanga matapos maipuwersa ang ‘’sudden death’ sa unang pagkakataon sa kasaysayan ng PBA D-League.
Pag-aagawan ng Café France vs Racal at Cignal kontra Tanduay ang dalawang slots sa finals – unang pagkakataon sa kasaysayan ng Aspirants Cup.
Mag-aagawan ng Cafe France at Racal gayundin ang Cignal-San Beda at Tanduay sa nasabing dalawang finals slot sa muli nilang pagtatapat ngayong hapon sa Ynares Sports Arena sa Pasig.
Para kay Tile Masters coach Jerry Codinera, hangad niyang maihatid sa unang pagkakataon ang koponan sa kampeonato.
“Again, we know the name of the game is we have to be patient, so sabi ko lang sa mga bata, we’ll try to keep things simple. Anything can happen so kailangan nandoon yung poise namin,” ani Codińera.
Sasandigan niya upang pamunuan ang misyong ito sina Sidney Onwubere, Kent Salado, at Jackson Corpuz.
Sa panig ng Bakers coach Egay Macaraya, naniniwala syang sapat ang kanilang karanasan sa Final Four na inaasahan niyang maipapakita ng kanyang koponan upang muling umabot ng finals.
“I need everybody. I’m wielding the veterans hoping na mag-step up sila. But as a young team, all we could do is motivate the boys,” ayon kay Macaraya. “We want them to have these life-changing moments, for them to realize that our destiny is to make it back to the Finals.”
Tulad ng dati, aasahan ng Cafe France ang trio nina Paul Desiderio, Rod Ebondo, at Joseph Sedurifa para pangunahan ang koponan said winner-take-all match.
Kumbinsido naman si Hawkeyes coach Boyet Fernandez na taglay ng kanyang koponan ang mga katangian ng dati nyang koponang NLEX..
“It’s really the boys who stepped up and they didn’t want to go home,”ani Fernandez.
Umaasa rin si Fernandez na makapagpapakita ulit ng magandang laro sina Jason Perkins, Robert Bolick, at Pamboy Raymundo sa do-or-die Game 3 upang makarating sila ng championship series.
“It’s going to be a matter of who wants it more. We challenged them to step up their game and I think they already realized that Tanduay is indeed no pushovers. We just have to be consistent and focused on the game,” dagdag pa ni Fernandez .
Hindi naman sila nagkakaiba ng hangad ni Rhum Masters coach Lawrence Chongson.
“How badly we want to make it back to the Finals is an understatement, but we know that it won’t be handed to us in a silver platter,” pahayag ni Chongson.“We have to dig deep, bite and claw to be able to survive. Still, I’m very confident of our chances.” (Marivic Awitan)