We're giving away four tickets to this Friday's December 16, 2011 PBA games

All you have to do is: 1) write your thoughts on who you think will win the match between Talk ‘N Text vs. Barako Bull and Powerade vs. B-Meg matches. STATE WHY YOU THINK THEY WILL WIN in at least FOUR SENTENCES for each MATCH, and 2) guess the winning margin. Post it at the bottom area for comments of this Bleachers’ Brew entry. When you send your entries kindly include your name, email and contact number (we will withhold that for confidential purposes unless you don't mind). We will pick out the two winners (who will get two tickets each) to the PBA games on Wednesday at the Araneta Coliseum. Am also working something out to sweeten the prizes.

Talk ‘N Text vs. Barako Bull

Quarterfinals Game 1

In Barako Bull’s last three games this December, they won one and lost two. The Energy Boosters won by four and lost by an average of three points. Previous to those three games, their last November game saw them upended by eight by the Meralco Bolts.

Barako Bull is a veteran-laden team filled with players with extensive championship experience who can hang tough in the clutch. They started out well like Rain or Shine but they somewhat limped towards the end of the elimination rounds.

On the other side of the spectrum, Talk ‘N Text is also 2-1 in their last three matches. They lost big in their last outing by 14 and in the two wins they got by an average of 2.5 points.

However, I felt that in their final match of the elimination round against a scorching Ginebra team, even if TNT has many of their regular players back, they had not jelled. They started the season without a full lineup and steadily lost players that they had to pick up some help. And that help in the form of Bam Gamalinda and Shawn Weinstein hasn’t made the transition easier. In that match against Ginebra, it was obvious that Gamalinda is still looking for his role in the team. There were a couple of instances when he took the shot when he should have passed off to another teammate. But that’s all part of the learning process.

That Ginebra game was an ugly match as any as the Tropang Texters have played in recent memory and they didn’t look as confident as they did mid-way through this Philippine Cup. That loss allowed idle B-Meg to claim the top of the standings even though they had identical 10-4 records.

In this quarterfinals best-of-three series between the two squads, I figure Talk ‘N Text to play much better following their last loss to Ginebra now that their team will have played a competitive match with key players who have been out for a while. The Tropang Texters might be banged up but the fact that their players will suit up means they’re making a go of it.

Barako Bull is a little more rested but they have a couple of players who have a penchant for delivering in the clutch. These vets also want to prove that they are not washed up or nor are the other deserving of D-League status.

In their first match, I see TNT weathering that Barako Bull assault to pull out a Game One win by four points.

Powerade vs. B-Meg

Quarterfinals Game 1

Towards the end of the elimination round, there was speculation that the top squads were jockeying for position to play Powerade as opposed to Barako Bull. It was perceived that the Tigers were an easier opponent rather than the Energy Boosters who had all these battle-hardened vets and discards who had something to prove.

B-Meg in the meantime surprised a lot of people who thought that it would take time for them to imbibe the triangle offense that new head coach Tim Cone prefers. They started out 2-4 and have since won eight straight. They even piped erstwhile leader Talk ‘N Text to claim the top spot in the ten-team standings. It’s a veteran team that Cone has aided by the huge pick up of Smart Gilas veteran Mark Barroca in the draft.

The Tigers were inconsistent but they went 6-8. In their last three games, they thrashed Talk ‘N Text, lost by a whisker to Meralco before topping Barako Bull in the clutch to close out the eliminations.

They have a good team in the making. Sort of like where Rain or Shine was three years ago. The onus is on the team to not only get better as they try to work a seamless game between Gary David, Marcio Lassiter, and JV Casio but to also add parts to the puzzle.

I figure B-Meg to wrap this in two. Game One by eight.