Lordy Tugade of San Miguel Beer (center) drives past Mark Telan of Rain or Shine during their KFC-PBA Philippine Cup duel Friday night at the Araneta Coliseum. The Beermen won, 104-90. (PBA Media Bureau)

Games Sunday (Araneta Coliseum)
4 p.m. — Coca-Cola vs Alaska
6 p.m. — San Miguel vs Ginebra

League leaders Alaska Milk and San Miguel Beer try to keep their 1-2 spots and boost their bids for the two automatic Final Four berths this Sunday when they face separate opponents in the KFC-PBA Philippine Cup at the Araneta Coliseum.

The Aces meet the Coca-Cola Tigers at 4 p.m. after which the Beermen collide with the Barangay Ginebra Kings at 6:30.

Alaska is currently on top with 11 victories against one loss, enjoying a one-game lead over San Miguel which has an 11-3 record. Ginebra and Purefoods share the third with idle defending champion Talk ‘N Text with identical 8-5 cards.

The Texters and the Giants, however, were playing in the PBA on Tour presented by Phoenix Fuel in Cagayan de Oro City at presstime with the winner getting solo third.

At sixth place is Sta. Lucia Realty (7-5), followed by Burger King (5-9) and Rain or Shine (3-10). Coke is currently tied at the bottom with Barako Bull with similar 2-11 records.

The top two teams after the classification phase will advance to the semis outright while the third to fifth teams will automatically enter the quarters. The sixth to ninth squads will dispute the last quarters slot in the crossover wildcard knockout round with the 10th team being eliminated.

In their first meeting last October 14, the Kings defeated the Beermen, 98-86, although both teams had different results in their previous game.

While Ginebra lost to Sta. Lucia last Wednesday (88-93), SMB defeated Rain or Shine, 104-90, Friday night with forward Danny Seigle scattering 20 points, his best game so far this conference after missing the Fiesta Cup with a back injury.

“It’s a very crucial because at this stage all the teams are jockeying for positions,” San Miguel coach Siot Tanquincen said.

“Ginebra is a team that is always dangerous every time we play them even if they have key players who are injured.”

Mark Caguioa and reigning Most Valuable Player (MVP) Jayjay Helterbrand are still doubtful starters for the Kings today – dilemma which Ginebra coach Jong Uichico hopes to resolve by getting big games from Ronald Tubid, Eric Menk, Cyrus Baguio, Rico Villanueva, and JC Intal.

Against SMB, a team oozing with so much firepower and led by top Best Player of the Conference contender Arwind Santos, Uichico expects rough sailing.

“We want to play with a lot of scrappiness versus a team that is oozing with a lot of confidence,” Uichico said.

Alaska, on the other hand, is on a five-game win streak and the Aces will try to match their six straight wins to start the conference.

Coach Tim Cone’s wards downed the Tigers minus Asi Taulava in their first meeting last Oct. 23 (100-79).