The Kings gun for their fifth-straight win and a share of second spot, while Smart Gilas-Pilipinas is seeking the victory that will guarantee its place in the semifinal stage. The game is set at 5 p.m.

Both coaches know it won’t be easy.

“We used to play against the boys but now, they are men who can compete,” said Ginebra head coach Jong Uichico.

The Kings are coming off a huge 95-90 victory over the slumping Rain or Shine on Saturday in Davao del Norte, extending their winning streak to four.

Nate Brumfield again had a solid performance for Ginebra with 30 points on 11-of-14 shooting against the Elasto Painters. He also had eight rebounds and three steals in that game.

The six-foot-three Brumfield will be tested against the national team’s naturalized player Marcus Douthit, who sat his team’s previous game against Powerade because of a left-ankle sprain.

The nationals’ Serbian coach Rajko Toroman said Douthit will suit up against the Kings but the 30-year-old six-foot-10 center would not be 100 percent. Skipper Chris Tiu will be out for the next two games because of a shoulder injury.

“This is the game for our semifinal bid,” said Toroman, whose young wards are coming off a pulsating 98-97 win over the Tigers to bounce back from a 90-98 loss, their first, to Derby Ace. “Ginebra is a great team and they have the best import [Brumfield] right now who has a good inside game.”

The Nationals squeaked past Powerade despite trailing by 23 points. JV Casio and Marcio Lassiter combined for 50 points to carry the scoring cudgels for Gilas.

In the second game, Air21 eyes its first back-to-back wins in the tournament when it faces Meralco at 7:30 p.m. The Express of coach Bong Ramos nailed their only second win—edging Rain or Shine, 94-92—while the Bolts blew an 11-point lead in the last three minutes of regulation and surrendered a 104-101 overtime loss to Alaska.

“We have to learn from it. We are embracing adversity knowing that it will make us stronger and tougher in the years to come,” said Meralco head coach Ryan Gregorio.

Meralco is eighth with a 2-5 win-loss mark but still has a shot at the top six. But the Bolts must sweep their last two assignments and hope B-MEG Derby Ace (4-4) and Rain or Shine (3-4) won’t reach five wins.

Air21 is virtually in the same situation as Meralco. The Express are in solo fifth with a 2-4 card.

“I think achievable naman ang makapasok sa next round and with the kind of personnel I have, tingin ko kaya naman,” said Ramos.

Dondon Hontiveros, Danny Seigle, Dorian Peña and Paul Artadi added depth to the Air21 roster after that controversial trade with San Miguel Beer.

The Air21-Meralco tussle will feature the most offensive-minded imports in the tournament—Alpha Bangura of Air21 and Champ Oguchi of Meralco.

Joel Orellana, Business Mirror