Games on Friday (Ninoy Aquino Stadium)
5 p.m. — Ginebra vs Rain or Shine
7:30 p.m. — San Miguel vs B-Meg Derby Ace

San Miguel Beer’s bench is considered very deep that the consensus is that anyone can be a starter.

But facing the B-Meg Derby Ace Llamados this Friday for the last outright semis berth in the PBA Fiesta Cup, the Beermen may need more than as they play a team whose starting unit can at times be superior to San Miguel’s balanced bench.

The game is set at 7:30 p.m. at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium as the Beermen take on the league’s hottest team which has collected six straight wins coming into this match.

Clashing in the opening game at 5 p.m. are Rain or Shine and Ginebra in another playoff match – this time – for the fifth and last automatic quarterfinal berth.

B-Meg coach Ryan Gregorio is upbeat about their chances: “It is no secret that they have the best talent in the league. But for as long as our team concept is on defense and offense are applied consistently, I really believe that we have a chance.”

That philosophy can be best gleaned by the results of their last six games which they all won to draw level with the Beermen at the end of the classification phase with similar 13-5 records.

The Kings and the Elasto Painters forged a separate playoff duel by finishing with identical 9-9 marks.

The Llamados and the Beermen split their head-to-head matches this conference with San Miguel winning first (80-72), before B-Meg Derby Ace came back with a victory in the second round (83-82) courtesy of James Yap’s game-winning jumper with 6.7 seconds left.

Ranidel named Phoenix Fuel-PBA top performer
Ranidel de Ocampo, the slick-moving, post-up forward of the Talk ‘N Text Tropang Texters, was named on Thursday the Fiesta Cup Phoenix Fuel-PBA Elims Top Performer – the first such award bestowed to one player from the 10 participating ballclubs before the conference moves on to the playoffs.

Chosen by the PBA Press Corps, which also picks the Coach of the Year, Executive of the Year and Finals Most Valuable Player, the award is pattered after the National Basketball Association’s Regular Season MVP plum.

De Ocampo bested three other Texters – forward Kelly Williams, off-guard Mark Cardona and point guard Jimmy Alapag – and Philippine Cup Best Player of the Conference James Yap of the B-Meg Derby Ace Llamados.

The award will be given by PBA commissioner Sonny Barrios on Sunday at the Araneta Coliseum before the second game of the wildcard stage.

His TNT teammates tried to shake him off the ladder but De Ocampo hung on tenaciously after claiming the No. 1 spot in the statistical race more than four weeks ago.

Known for his nifty drop-step moves and head-and-shoulder fakes, as well as his bruising defense and intimidating presence underneath the basket, De Ocampo, a key figure in TNT’s ascent to the No. 1 position in the Final Four, averaged 32.0 statistical points from a total 576 SPs.

He averaged 16.0 points per game, 6.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists. 0.5 steals, and 0.2 blocks in 18 games during the two-round classification stage.