Win or go home in PBA wild card Sunday

Two teams get to live for another day while the other pair bows out when the KFC-PBA Philippine Cup wild card stage is played Sunday at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City. Sta. Lucia plays Rain or Shine in the 4 p.m. curtain raiser while Burger King and Coca-Cola square off in the 6:30 p.m. main game. Winners in the knockout-style playoff move on into the best-of-five quarterfinals beginning Wednesday. Sta. Lucia is honest enough to admit it is wary of its match up against Rain or Shine, especially with the way the Elasto Painters almost pulled the rug from under the Alaska Aces on the final day of the eliminations Friday night, 95-94. “Playing Rain or Shine is a tough match-up," said Realtors coach Boyet Fernandez. “We have to play perfect. No tomorrow. We have to be ready." “It’s about who will want it more," said Rain or Shine counterpart Caloy Garcia. “And we have to be physically and mentally ready." Sta. Lucia swept Rain or Shine in the 18-game eliminations but by close margins. Their first meeting was a thrilling 95-90 victory before another tense 95-91 win last Jan. 6. Just as exciting is the Tigers and Whoppers showdown The Tigers actually have not yet lost in 2010 and are now on a three-game winning roll, capped by a 93-91 triumph over Barako Bull last Jan. 20 on a buzzer-beating, turn-around jumper from Asi Taulava. It was a win Coca-Cola really did not need, but the victory gave the Tigers the confidence they needed just the same against the Whopper, who likewise won their last assignment – an 87-80 win over the Aces last Wednesday. Coach Yeng Guiao sees an interesting contest between his Whopper and the Tigers. The two teams split their two-game meeting in the preliminary round. “We are ready for Coke," said Guiao, whose resume does not include a championship in an all-Filipino tournament. “It’s going to be interesting because both teams got better with the trade. It’s going to come down to an exciting endgame. The team that’s tougher down the stretch is going to win it." Guiao, of course, was referring to the deal that sent Gary David and Chico Lanete to the Tigers in exchange for Alex Cabagnot and Wesley Gonzales. The team that comes out on top in the wild card will go on to face Ginebra in the quarterfinals, with Purefoods meeting defending champion Talk ‘N Text in the other pairing. Alaska wound up as the No. 1 seed with San Miguel Beer No. 2. Both teams will not see action until the semi-finals. – GMANews.TV