B-MEG, Alaska vie for second wins against Barako Bull, Powerade

AKTV/Paul Ryan Tan

B-MEG and Alaska eye second straight wins in the conference when they go against separate foes in the PBA Governors’ Cup Friday at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum.

The Llamados square off with Barako Bull in the main game at 7:30 p.m. right after the Aces battle winless Powerade at 5:15 p.m.

The Commissioner’s Cup champion Llamados nailed their first win against Barangay Ginebra, 96-88, to bounce back from a defeat at the hands of league-leader Rain or Shine.

B-MEG coach Tim Cone said they expect the Energy, also carrying a 1-1 slate, to come back strong.

“Barako Bull is an experienced team, with good talent and is well-coached. When they put it together, they are an extremely tough team to beat,” said Cone.

The Energy were trounced by the Aces in their previous game, 104-84, where import Jamine Peterson was held down to just 19 points after debuting with 33 points and 22 rebounds in their 106-101 win against the Tigers.

Cone hopes that import Marqus Blakely could control Peterson while the locals, led by James Yap and Peter June Simon, lend support for their import on offense.

In the opener, Alaska interim coach Luigi Triilo seeks his second victory against the Tigers, who have yet to win in two starts.

The Aces notched a 20-point win against Barako Bull while Powerade lost to the same team by five.

“It’s nice to get the monkey off the back,” Trillo admitted. “The first win is usually the hardest.”

“We have a lot of respect for Powerade. Coach Bo (Perasol) maximizes what he has. (Gary) David plays like an import,” he added.

Perasol, meanwhile, said they need to regain their focus to get back in the tournament.

“The last thing in our minds now is to make excuses. We have to dig deep within ourselves to find a way to win,” said Perasol.

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