V-DAY SA HOTSHOTS?

Laro ngayon:

(Araneta Coliseum)

6:30 p.m. – San Miguel vs Magnolia

Game 6, Hotshots abante sa serye, 3-2

SISIKAPIN ng Magnolia na maagaw ang korona sa San Miguel Beer sa Game 6 ng best-of-7 PBA Philippine Cup finals ngayon sa Araneta Coliseum.

Naungusan ng Hotshots ang Beermen, 88-86, sa krusyal na Game 5 noong Biyernes sa kabayanihan ni Andy Mark Barroca upang lumapit sa ikalawang sunod na  kampeonato makaraang angkinin ang Governors’ Cup noong nakaraang season.

Naging sakit ng ulo ni coach Leo Austria si Barroca makaraang mabigo ang tropa nito na apulahin ang maiinit na kamay ng Magnolia spitfire.

Inaasahang muling pamumunuan ni Barroca ang mainit na opensiba ng Magnolia, katuwang sina Paul Lee, Jio Jalalon, Rome de la Rosa, Ian Sangalang, Rafi Reavis at Justin Melton.

Pinagtulungan nina Sangalang, Reavis at Kayle Pascual si June Mar Fajardo kung saan nalimitahan nila ang output ng 6’9 SMB scoring dynamo sa first half.

“We will put pressure on Fajardo with the same impregnable defense like we did in Game 5. They only way to win is to limit his output to single digit,” sabi ni coach Chito Victolero.

“This is our chance to make it and celebrate the fruits of our labor. Now the momentum is on us, we will exploit it to full use. We will not allow them to get back and go for a win tonight,” wika pa ni Victolero.

Sa kabila na natalo at nalagay sa balag ng ala­nganin ang kanilang title retention bid ay hindi pa rin nawawalan ng loob si coach Leo Austria.

“The series is not over yet. We will bounce back. I reminded my players to play their best out there and utilize all available resources from their arsenal to force a sudden death,” wika ni Austria na puntirya ang ika-5 sunod na korona mula 2012.

“It’s now or never. This is one moment in time to play as a team, consolidate our efforts and pull our resources together for just one cause to win the game we needed most,” ani Austria.

Muling pagaganahin ni Austria ang kanilang scoring machine, sa pa­ngunguna ni Fajardo, katuwang sina Alex Cabagnot, Arwind Santos, Marcio Lassiter Chris Ross, Terrence Romeo at Christian Standhardinger.

CLYDE MARIANO