Kings fancied to make two in a row tonite

Impressive in its debut against Talk n Text Wednesday, reigning champion Barangay Ginebra is fancied to make it two in a row today against Sta. Lucia Realty in the continuation of the Gran Matador PBA Philippine Cup at the Araneta Coliseum.

The Kings and the Realtors had contrasting results in their initial games in the All-Filipino tourney Wednesday in the same venue. While the Kings proved too much against the Phone Pals, 98-81, the Realtors turned to be easy preys for the Purefoods Chunkee Giants, 88-104.

Out to become the first team to win back-to-back All-Filipino crowns in 20 years, Ginebra seeks to build up momentum, going for a second straight win against Sta. Lucia in their 6:30 p.m. tussle.

Talk n Text and Air21 clash in the day’s other game at 4:10 p.m. with both, like Sta. Lucia, determined to bounce back from a losing debut in the tourney.

Curiously, all the first five games in the tourney ended in a rout. San Miguel and Red Bull figured in the first fiercely-fought contest Friday night with the Beermen coming away with a 101-93 win on a key 11-0 closing run.

But tonight’s doubleheader could even be a more furious tiff.

The Phone Pals, for one, are raring to avenge a setback at the hands of the Express in the quarterfinal round of the recent Fiesta Cup topped by the Bulls.

The Pals could well come out with a much better game in their second outing under new coach Derrick Pumaren and new recruits Vergel Meneses, John Ferriols, Anton Viloria and Chris Cantonjos.

Pumaren, Meneses and Ferriols will be up against their former team Air21 which is now featuring an ex-TnT mainstay in Mark Telan.

Talk n Text couldn’t get its rhythm against Ginebra last Wednesday and was terribly hurt by Mark Caguioa who erupted for 39 points.

Caguioa dished out the remarkable performance with no signs of the hamstring pull he suffered during the last Fiesta Conference playoffs, prompting coach Siot Tanquingcen to believe some Divine Intervention may have been involved.

"Parang blessing from God. He and Jayjay (Helterbrand) did not practice until last Sunday. And for him to come out and play like that…," said Tanquingcen, adding the scheduling may have favored them as TnT, with its re-tooled lineup, was not yet fully into the groove of the system recently put into place by Pumaren.

"Napaganda ang scheduling dahil kami ang napauna sa kanila (Phone Pals). Pero I know that in a couple of games, they’ll fully grasp their new system," explained Tanquingcen.

The Express may also be readjusting with their own new recruit in Telan, who made only six points in Air21’ 83-104 blowout by Coca-Cola in the tournament opener.