Philippine Sports News and Updates

Everything is already in place for the upcoming semifinals series in the 2008-09 KF-PBA Philippine Cup Final Four.

Defending champion Sta. Lucia will again face tough rival Alaska while Talk `N Text will collide with San Miguel Beer. The teams will slug it out in an exciting pair of best-of-seven showdowns.

"Pampagana pa lang `yong wild card and quarterfinal series natin because the semifinals are even more exciting. So I hope PBA fans would enjoy it," said PBA league commissioner Sonny Barrios.

The Final Four clash begins Wednesday at the Big Dome just three days after the Beermen survived sister team Barangay Ginebra Kings, 98-93, in their knockout game for the last semifinals slot.

The Beermen now will have to get past Tropang Texters to make it into the finals. Face-off between the two teams is set to start at 7:30 pm.

A subplot to the match up is the meeting between Talk `N Text coach Chot Reyes and the San Miguel squad, which he steered to a runner-up finish in the same tournament two years ago.

The Realtors also have something to settle with the Aces in their semis duel which starts at 5 pm.

The two teams went the full route in a hotly-contested semis series which saw a word war between Boyet Fernandez of Sta. Lucia and Alaska's Tim Cone last year. That semis match was won Sta. Lucia enroute to winning the championship