UNBEATEN LEADERS PUREFOODS, MAGNOLIA PART WAYS FRIDAY

Coca-Cola battles slumping Alaska
Philippine Basketball Association website
Thursday, 25 October 2007

It's still early into the season but Purefoods coach Ryan Gregorio's body language seems to indicate that the Giants are heading for the title playoffs.

Who can blame the vibrant, boyish looking coach if he walks around flashing his infectious smile as if he's doing a shoot for a toothpaste commercial.

Considered a dark horse by noted cage experts in preseason surveys, the Giants have shown great determination and courage in their first two games and if they could sustain it, chances are they'll find themselves in the thick of the title race.

James Yap and Kerby Raymundo, who missed the entire last conference to join the Philippine Team that played in the FIBA-Asia Championships with the hope of landing a spot in next year's Beijing Olympics, are making up for lost time by coming up with standout performances.

James Yap, the league's MVP two years ago, has sparkled on offense, scoring 29 and 24 points in their first two games while Raymundo has been a terror in the lane, averaging 14 boards a night as the Giants survived tremendous challenges to subdue the Sta. Lucia Realtors, 96-89, in their season opener then followed it with a 112-97 dismantling of the Talk N Text Phone Pals in Dumaguete City.

The duo are also getting tremendous support from Mark Pingris, Jondan Salvador, Roger Yap and rookie free agent guard Chico Lanete.

Those encouraging signs keep Gregorio optimistic, although he has cautioned his troops to brace themselves for another intense encounter when they face the Magnolia Beverage Masters.

"This is the acid test for us," said Gregorio of their scheduled 7:20 p.m. tiff Friday at the Araneta Coliseum that pits two unbeaten teams.

"Magnolia is the tournament favorite so it's exciting to see how we could match up with them."

Indeed, it's interesting to watch how Raymundo, Pingris, Salvador and Rommel Adducul will handle Magnolia's hot properties led by Danny Seigle, Danny Ildefonso and Rico Villanueva.

Magnolia's Big Three, along with Dondon Hontiveros and Lordy Tugade, scored in double figures against the Air21 Express and the Sta. Lucia Realtors – both won games as the Beverage Masters keep the Giants company at the top.

Gregorio acknowledges that they will have to play a great game to beat Magnolia and he believes his troops will be able to respond to the challenges because "we will be coming into the game with a high confidence level following that victory against Talk N Text.”

Unofficially, the Giants hold a 1-0 edge over the Beverage Masters, having beaten them in the Pre-Season Tournament finals.

"It's also an added motivation knowing that the winner will take the solo lead," Gregorio said.

The other game at 4:35 p.m. between Coca-Cola and Alaska should also be interesting as Willie Miller and company try to arrest a two-game skid.

Obviously, Alaska's bench is deeper than Coca-Cola's but the Tigers, who are seeking win No.2, seem to have adjusted well under the new rules being implemented by the league – something the Aces are still trying to figure out. (DBC)