#PBA2015 PREVIEW: KIA CARNIVAL vs BARAKO BULL ENERGY – BIG WINNERS

Kia and Barako Bull are both coming off AMAZING wins against much more fancied opponents. Which team’s luck will run out in this match between two upstarts?

Here are some things to watch in this game:

1. GIANT KILLERS

Nobody could have expected the Kia Carnival to beat the reigning Philippine Cup champs, but that’s exactly what they did in their previous game, ambushing the San Miguel Beermen. Behind gritty play and great bench scoring, Kia surprised SMB and officially made the champs start winless this conference.

Bench scoring: Kia 44, SMB 15

FG%: Kia 44.4%, SMB 37.1%

2. EL GIGANTE

7’3 behemoth Peter John Ramos gave SMB’s best player and league MVP June Mar Fajardo all he could handle and then some. Despite battling through foul trouble and having 0 blocks, the giant Puerto Rican still made a huge impact on the game. His scoring and mere presence in the paint seemed to fluster and frustrate SMB.

Head-to-Head vs Fajardo:

Ramos: 22pts, 8rebs, 8/19 FGs — WIN

Fajardo: 18pts, 8rebs, 2blks, 8/16 FGs – LOSE

3. YEE-HEE

Another guy who played really solid ball for Kia was Mark Yee. Yee provided a great spark off the bench and a strong presence in the paint. He’s actually enjoying some of the best basketball in his pro career, and Kia better feel lucky they’re reaping the benefits.

Stats last season: 3.2ppg, 2.5rpg, 39.7 FG%

Stats this conference: 10.3ppg, 8.3rpg, 2.3apg, 52.4 FG%

4. STEPPING UP: AVENIDO, REVILLA, & CAWALING

Other guys who stepped up big were young guns LA Revilla and JR Cawaling along with forgotten veteran Leo Avenido. Both Revilla and Cawaling played really efficient basketball for Kia against SMB. They seemed undaunted by the fact they were playing the recently-crowned champs. Avenido, for his part, surprised a lot of people. For many years, he seems to have been a forgotten man in the PBA (which is why he has been playing in the ABL), but he made people remember just how dangerous he can be against SMB.

Combined vs SMB: 31pts, 10rebs, 9asts, 9/19 FGs

SMB’s Cabagnot + Lutz + Lassiter: 14pts, 9rebs, 8asts, 6/19 FGs

5. CHEEKY CHICO

Chico Lanete was HUGE in Barako Bull’s big win over Ginebra to start February. Lanete came up big in the second half as the Energy thwarted Ginebra’s effort to get win #1 this conference. Lanete was efficient on the offensive end and was great defensively, too.

Season stats:10.5ppg, 3.1rpg, 1.9apg, 2.0spg, 45.1 FG%

vs GIN: 17pts, 3rebs, 2asts, 3stls, 50.0 FG%

6. UMAALAB SI ALABI

Barako import Solomon Alabi struggled to score against the Kings, but he did make up for it in other ways, rebounding like a madman and  defending like crazy. In that sense, he was definitely the better import in that game, outplaying Ginebra’s Mike Dunigan. Going up against Peter John Ramos here, though, will be a completely different matter.

vs GIN: 13pts, 20rebs, 4blks, 2stls, 6/16 FGs.

7. ROCKET RISING

Another guy who came up big for the Energy was JC Intal. The Rocket rose to the occasion against Ginebra, dropping 14 points, grabbing 6 rebounds, and handing out 4 assists in a great all-around display of skill. He also showed his range by hitting 4 triples. I guess he’s still on a newlywed high?

Season stats: 12.4ppg, 5.1rpg, 1.7apg, 1.2 triples per game, 42.3 FG%

Last 2 games: 13.5ppg, 5.5rpg, 2.5apg, 2.5 triples per game 47.6 FG%, 71.4 3pt%

8. BARAKO’S BASICS

Aside from great individual performances, though, Barako also benefitted from its players going back to basics and really just outworking the Kings. Barako ran the fastbreak better, shot better from the field, and had better ball distribution. I mean, they assisted on 20 of their 29 field goals made! Wow! Talk about teamwork!

Fastbreak pts: BAR 15, GIN

FG%: BAR 39.2%, GIN 31.3%

BAR assisted on 20 of 29 field goals made (70.0% of their made shots were off assists!)

9. PREVIOUS MEETING: JAKE OF ALL TRADES

Rookie Jake Pascual scored 16 of his 22 points in the first half as he led Barako Bull past expansion team Kia, 87-71, and to the team’s first win in the PBA Philippine Cup. Pascual, the No. 8 pick of the 2014 PBA Draft, shot 9/13 from the field and grabbed 12 rebounds in a breakout performance for the Energy. He had not scored more than five points or grabbed more than seven rebounds in any of their first five games. Teammate Willy Wilson added 11 points in the victory. With the win, Barako Bull finally entered the win column after starting the season with five straight defeats. Kia, meanwhile, lost a sixth consecutive game after opening the season with a win. LA Revilla dropped 21 markers to pace the Sorento, while Reil Cervantes added 15.

Last game against each other:

BAR Leaders:

Jake Pascual – 22pts, 12rebs, 3asts, 3stls, 9/13 FGs

Willy Wilson – 11pts, 3rebs, 4/4 FGs

Denok Miranda – 9pts, 5asts

KIA Leaders:

LA Revilla – 21pts, 7rebs, 5asts

Reil Cervantes – 15pts, 5rebs, 2asts

Rich Alvarez – 8pts, 8rebs

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