Injury-hit B-Meg faces Talk N Text

MANILA, Philippines - B-MEG Derby Ace hopes to make do with what’s left in its injury-hit roster as it takes on Talk n Text to start its title-retention campaign in the PBA Philippine Cup at the Araneta Coliseum tonight.

Already without injured Kerby Raymundo, Marc Pingris and Rafi Reavis, the Llamados will be without another big man in the dengue-stricken Romel Adducul.

James Yap, who has just undergone minor operation to get rid of nasal polyps, may well be forced to play some minutes to help the Derby Ace team in its adjustment stage with new coach Jorge Gallent.
Derby Ace and Talk n Text face off at 7:30 p.m. after the 5 p.m. tiff between Rain or Shine and Powerade (formerly Coca-Cola), two teams which have developed their own rivalry following collisions in knockout matches in the last three conferences.

“It will be a test on how we have become a better team. We are trying to improve on our performance the previous seasons. We are definitely going to try our hardest,” said Powerade coach Bo Perasol.

“It will be a game of adjustments. Both teams have lots of new players and will play a game with new calls. Whoever does the right adjustments would have a good chance to win,” said Rain or Shine coach Caloy Garcia.

The Elasto Painters were sixth placers in both the all-Filipino and reinforced tournaments last year. Coca-Cola was a rung behind in both tourneys.

Talk n Text was No. 1 last season in terms of overall win-loss percentage although the Texters couldn’t finish better than fifth in the first conference and third in the second confab.

“We need to answer a lot of questions. How can we cope without Ranidel de Ocampo? How will we make up for Macmac Cardona’s exit? How big an impact will Larry Fonacier make? We shall see tomorrow,” said Talk n Text coach Chot Reyes.

Cardona, in the top three in the scoring ladder in the last three seasons, has moved over to Meralco while De Ocampo is out after undergoing surgery to scrape bone spurs on his ankles.

Without Cardona and De Ocampo, Reyes will lean on Fonacier, Jimmy Alapag, Harvey Carey, Ryan Reyes, Jason Castro, Jarred Dillinger, Kelly Williams, Mark Yee, Ali Peek, Rich Alvarez, Aaron Aban, Gilbert Lao and Mark Telan.

They will be up against James Yap, Roger Yap, Rico Maierhofer, Jonas Villanueva, Peter June Simon, Niño Canaleta, Jerwin Gaco, Chris Timberlake, Don Allado and Jondan Salvador.

Gaco, who played under Gallent in the amateurs for a long time, is a free-agent acquisition while Villanueva is a trade recruit in exchange for Paul Artadi.