Wednesday, June 04, 2008 Coca Cola Tigers face unpredictable P’foods
MANILA - The Coca-Cola Tigers will stake their hold of the solo lead when they take on the unpredictable Purefoods Giants today in the resumption of the 2008 Smart-PBA Fiesta Conference at the Araneta Coliseum.
A win by the Tigers over the Giants in their 7:20 p.m. encounter will enable them to strengthen their hold of the top position and move just five games away from clinching the first automatic semifinal slot.
Bearing an 8-4 card, the Tigers are slightly favored to prevail over the slumping Giants, who succumbed to a surprising 60-88 setback to the Alaska Aces last May 30.
In the first match, Magnolia Beverage will try to breakaway from a three-way logjam at sixth to seventh as it faces cellar dweller Welcoat at 4:50 p.m.
Coach Benky Favis hopes their back-to-back win against Red Bull (102-80) last May 23 and against Welcoat (94-87) last May 30 will serve as a springboard towards their
quest to the semis.
But Favis knows the Giants can’t be taken lightly as the Tigers won only by a lone point, 109-108, in their first meeting on April 5.
He would again lean on the 6-foot-9 center-forward Jason Dixon who led the Tigers against the Giants with 37 points, 12 rebounds and dished-off four assists, a steal and
a block.
Apart from Dixon, a former Liberty University standout, Asi Taulava is also expected to be a strong figure at the slot. The 6-foot-9 Taulava finished with 20 points and hauled down 11 rebounds (FCC)
