THE COCA-COLA Tigers are playing like king lions these days, sharing early lead in the Gran Matador Brandy 2006 PBA Philippine Cup with defending champions Barangay Ginebra Kings.
They will be eyeing their third straight win when they face the Purefoods Chunkee Giants today at the Araneta Coliseum.
"It’s always nice to start your campaign with good results," said Tigers coach Binky Favis, who had a rough start in the previous conference.
While Ali Peek stands out in their twin victories, Favis thinks their team game keys their success so far.
"The kind of teamwork the guys are showing is really commendable. They’re unselfish and they never seem to run out of energy," he said. "They have identified our strengths and weaknesses."
With Peek leading the way, the Tigers have scored back-to-back blowout wins. They handed the Air21 Express a 104-83 beating on March 5 and posted a wire-to-wire 81-69 win over the Alaska Aces last Sunday.
Peek’s the best player of the game on both occasions, finishing with 21 points and 11 rebounds against the Express and with 27 points on a record 12-of-12 shooting against the Aces.
The Giants are also off to a promising start, routing the Sta. Lucia Realtors in their first outing, 104-88.
In the other game, Rich Alvarez meets his former team as Fiesta Conference title-holder Red Bull tries to enter the win-column at the expense of Alaska.
The Bulls lost to the San Miguel Beermen in their first outing while the Aces split their first two games. — Noli CRUZ
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