Playoff resumes; Tanduay fights for life

Tanduay faces another test today -- on the hardcourt where it thrives most under severe conditions -- as the Rhum Masters go back to action with their back against the wall, fighting the prospect of elimination versus the Purefoods Hotdogs tonight at the Araneta Coliseum.

Minus Sonny Alvarado, the Rhum Masters seek to overcome a 1-2 deficit versus the Hotdogs in their best-of-five playoff to gain the right to challenge the Alaska Milkmen in the PBA All-Filipino Cup finals.

The Rhum Masters are going back to the hardcourt after team officials decided to withdraw their legal case against the PBA, accepting the verdict against the ballclub in a shattering controversy that rocked the 25-year-old league.

Stating that they value their membership in the league and taking into consideration the interest of millions of PBA fans, Tanduay team manager David de Joya said they're accepting PBA Commissioner Jun Bernardino's ruling, thus returning to the hardcourt for the resumption of their semifinal playoff with Purefoods tonight.

Game time is at 7 p.m. with Purefoods enjoying a 2-1 lead on Bernardino's decision to reverse results of Tanduay's won games in Games Two and Three last week.

Purefoods coach Derrick Pumaren welcomed the news of the resumption of the series, saying it gives them the chance to redeem themselves following three straight losses to Tanduay.

The Hotdogs continued to practice while the league faced Tanduay in a legal battle that forced the postponement of two All-Filipino semifinal matches, and Pumaren said he's confident they will have a good chance versus Tanduay with Alvarado now gone from its lineup.

But the Tanduay coaching staff also tried to keep their boys in top shape while the team management waged the legal fight with the league. Head coach Alfrancis Chua is also confident they can still make it past the semifinals, arranging a title duel with Alaska despite the ouster of Alvarado.

Tanduay actually has proven it can beat Purefoods even without Alvarado as the Rhum Masters walloped the Hotdogs, 91-79, in Game One of their showdown last May 17.

Eric Menk played extra hard in that game, coming away with 44 points and 17 rebounds to lead the Rhum Masters to the victory which they followed up with an 85-75 win in Game Two and a 93-70 blowout in Game Three where Alvarado surprisingly saw action.