Pro league offers Saturday double header

NSTEAD of the Phoenix Fuel Philippine Basketball Association on Tour, a doubleheader will be scheduled in Saturday’s offering of the Philippine Cup at the Araneta Coliseum.

The first season encounter between the defending champion B-MEG Derby Ace Llamados and San Miguel Beermen startsearly at 4:50 p.m., before rookie franchise Meralco and Powerade

battle in the second game set at 7:30 p.m. to cap the weekend special.

The B-MEG-San Miguel skirmish will be shown live over SolarTV, while the Meralco-Powerade tussle is to be shown on a delay basis at 10 p.m. also on SolarTV.

The twinbill is part of the league’s three-day treat for the Halloween season which begins Friday with the meeting between Air21 and Barako Bull in the curtain raiser ( 5 p.m.), followed by the match up pitting crowd favorite Barangay Ginebra and Rain or Shine (7:30 p.m.).

“Owing to the holiday, the long weekend certainly gives PBA fans the chance to watch and enjoy action in the Philippine Cup either live at the playing venue or in the comfort of their living rooms for three straight days behind six exciting ball games,” said league commissioner Chito Salud.

Highlight of the Halloween delight takes place on Sunday also at the Big Dome as Rain or Shine and Barako Bull open hostilities at 4 p.m., after which, Alaska and Talk `N Text take the floor in an explosive contest between two of the top contenders in the season-opening tournament.

The Beermen will come into the game fresh from a dramatic 99-97 win over the Alaska Aces behind Alex Cabagnot’s game-winning left floater in the final three-tenths of a second.

The victory left the league’s winningest team in history sharing the top spot along with Talk `N Text, which walloped Powerade, 108-89, the last time. Both teams carry similar 4-1 cards.

The reigning champion Llamados are currently at the bottom of the standings with a 1-4 record, no thanks to an 11-point loss to Barangay Ginebra in their last outing a week ago.

Powerade, meanwhile, will attempt to arrest a two-game slide—which saw them lost by a margin of 22 points—at the expense of a Meralco side still euphoric on its 87-79 stunner of Rain or Shine last Sunday.

Reuel Vidal, Manila Standard Today