UPSET-CONSCIOUS CARNIVAL TARGET PACESETTING TEXTERS

Kia Carnival must be on a high now.

Winning two games against two big dogs in San Miguel and Purefoods, the expansion team is telling everyone they really do belong in the PBA.

And three days after that monumental upset of the Hotshots, playing coach Manny Pacquiao received a piece of big news of his own when he woke up as Floyd Mayweather finally sealed the deal for their mega-fight in May.

But before Pacquiao goes up in the ring with “Money,” he and Kia have to first topple another powerhouse in Talk ‘N Text.

The Carnival play the Tropang Texters on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, as the giant killers seek to add another league biggie in their list of victims.

Game time is at 4:15 p.m.

At 2-4, Kia is gunning for another shocker, as it seeks to end Talk ‘N Text’s three-game winning run and dislodge them from the leaders perch in the 2015 PBA Commissioner’s Cup standings.

Pacquiao is upbeat with his team’s chances of making it to the quarterfinals, as he noticed that this is a different Kia squad than the one which everyone saw in the Philippine Cup.

“May chance pa naman. Dapat lang patindihin yung training namin,” he said. “Sa tingin ko eh nagkakaroon na ng kumpyansa yung mga players ko.”

To add to the good news, Kia’s leading scorer last conference, Reil Cervantes, has reported for active duty, adding another weapon for the Carnival.

Pacquiao’s presence, however, is still in doubt with the big Mayweather fight already set in stone.

Talk ‘N Text coach Jong Uichico, meanwhile, wants to go solo at the top of the 12-team heap with new import Ivan Johnson.

“He still has to learn some of the plays. He’s pretty okay except that he’s gotten himself into foul trouble. But hindi pa kami magkakakilala talaga so it’s a given,” the coach said. (RL)

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