Phoenix, Tanduay dispute D-League crown

MANILA, Philippines – Phoenix and Tanduay clash today in sudden death for the PBA D-League Foundation Cup crown with the former raring to rebound and sweep the season titles and the latter hoping to keep its successful run in knockout matches and nail its breakthrough championship.

The Rhum Masters rode on a fiery fourth quarter to foil the Accelerators, 89-75, in Game Two at the Alonte Sports Arena in Biñan, Laguna last Tuesday, forcing the winner-take-all match for the league’s season-ending conference championship.

Phoenix, which earlier captured the Aspirants’ Cup plum, took Game One, 84-76.

The rubber match is set at 5 p.m., also at Alonte Sports Arena.

“Phoenix is a dangerous team. I would want nothing else but to win on Thursday (today),” said Tanduay coach Lawrence Chongson after his wards hurdled another do-or-die match to stay in the title hunt. The Rhum Masters earlier overcame the top-seeded Racal Tile Masters’ twice-to-beat edge in the Final Four to earn a first-ever crack at the D-League championship.

“It’s just our instinct to survive. We’re holding on to nothing but ourselves,”?added Chongson.

But the Accelerators are expected to come up with adjustments and at the same time find ways to maximize their edge in firepower with Mac Belo also tipped to atone for his abbreviated stint the last time out. The top Phoenix scorer was ejected with 4:49 left in Game Two for incurring a second technical foul.