Meralco faces Ginebra today in Lapu-Lapu

THE PBA’S crowd darling Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings face off against the Meralco Bolts today in an of-town game of the ongoing Governors Cup at the Hoops Dome in Lapu-Lapu City.

Both teams tote 1-1 (win-loss) records and are coming off losses going into today’s game.

The Bolts started the tournament with a 105-99 win over sister team Talk ’N Text but faltered in their next game against the Petron Blaze Boosters, 88-101.

The Kings won against the Air21 Express,103-85, but lost to the B-Meg Llamados, 88-96, last Sunday.

“We are up and down in the tournament. In the first game, we played good defense but we laid back again in the next game,” said Meralco head coach Ryan Gregorio during last Thursday’s media conference at the Old Spaghetti House in SM City Cebu.

Gregorio is expected to bank on import Champ Oguchi, who is averaging 26.5 points in his first two games. Gregorio also noted the resurgence of veteran center Asi Taulava.

“Asi is playing like a 25-year-old cager,” said Gregorio.

Taulava tallied nine points and 10 rebounds in the team’s first outing then churned in 19 points and 12 boards in a losing effort against Petron.

Gregorio said the team’s recent acquisition of Jay-arr Reyes from Alaska in favor of Gabby Espinas was meant to give Taulava the needed support.

“He (Reyes) is a need right now and need in the future. It’s good to back Asi with a tall and young player like Reyes.”

Meanwhile, Gary David scored 31 points spiked by five three-point shots to lead the Powerade Tigers to a 114-97 win over the Alaska Aces yesterday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

David shot 5 of 9 from beyond the arc and 6 of 12 from the two-point area as Powerade snapped a two-game slide to improve to 1-2, the same record with the Aces. /Copy editor Brian J. Ochoa