BEERMEN BATTLE ACES IN BINAN
Except for his team being a lot fresher, Alaska coach Luigi Trillo believes everything favors San Miguel Beer in their matchup in the Petron Blaze Saturday Special in Binan, Laguna.
Trillo insists they face tall odds in the Alaska-SMB tussle at 5 p.m. at the Alonte Sports Arena.
San Miguel pursues its Top Two drive while Alaska looks to improve its standing in the middle of the chart as they clash in the first-ever sortie by the local pro loop in Binan.
“San Miguel has been top two at the end of the elims and has made the Final Four the last three conferences. They lead the league with 25 assists a game. They are first in turnovers points, fastbreak points and second chance points,” said Trillo.
“They have a very, very good import and they are bigger and quicker in almost every position. What’s more surprising is how they outhustle the other teams,” Trillo also said.
San Miguel Beer coaching consultant Todd Purves, meanwhile, is not playing down what they have been doing.
And Purves is confident they can do a lot better once every SMB player gets healthy.
Even with June Mar Fajardo, Ronald Tubid and Marcio Lassiter not in the best shape, the Beermen won five of their first six games in the mid-season tourney.
The Beermen were pretty solid in victories over the Meralco Bolts, the Ginebra Kings, the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, the Barako Bull Energy and the GlobalPort Batang Pier.
After dropping their first game with Kevin Jones against the Talk n Text Tropang Texters, the Beermen quickly recovered and topped the E-Painters, 112-107; the Energy, 106-100; and the Batang Pier, 109-92.
“Coach Biboy Ravanes and coach Todd Purves have done a good job,” said Trillo, admiring the work of the coaching tandem that took over the SMB reins from Gee Abanilla.
A serious preparation during their 12-day break is what could work for the Alaska Aces.
They have been idle since clobbering the Air21 Express, 88-78, to check a two-game losing skein on March 17. (SB)
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