Panabo City to host PBA Fiesta Cup

Davao's Peter June Simon (center) plays for Purefoods.

James Yap (extreme right) closely guarded and Rommel Adducul (center) is ready to provide the screen.

Sta.Lucia Realty celebrates their victory in the PBA at the expense of Purefoods on March 2.

The Philippine Basketball Association is taking its act down south with an exciting match-up pitting the Coca-Cola Tigers and the Talk N Text Phone Pals on March 29 at the Panabo Multi-Purpose Tourism, Cultural and Sport Center in Davao del Norte.

Organized by the city's local government unit led by Mayor Jose Silvosa Sr., the lone game scheduled at 4:30 p.m. highlights the celebration of the 7th Araw ng Panabo City.

The Panabo stop is an official provincial game and serves as an appetizer of the import-laced 2008 PBA-Fiesta Cup, which will commence formally on March 30 at the Araneta Coliseum with a double-header featuring Welcoat against Air 21 at 4:30 p.m. and Red Bull against Barangay Ginebra at 6:50 p.m.

With a good three weeks remaining before the second conference gets going, most of the teams are still busy shopping around for prospective imports.

To date, only the Talk N Text Phone Pals have made an announcement on the identity of their import -- Aaron DeShon McGhee, a 6-foot-8, 250-pound power forward who starred for the Oklahoma University Sooner that reached the 2002 US NCAA Final Four.

Understandably, teams are taking time searching for reinforcement because this year's edition of the Fiesta Cup features imports with unlimited height. Not to mention, the handicapping system applies on Coca-Cola and Welcoat – two teams that finished 9^th and 10^th in the elimination round of the just concluded PBA Philippine Cup.

That means the Tigers and the Dragons are privilege to beef their teams with two imports (One of unlimited height and another not over 6-foot-1).

The last time the league adopted the open height limit for imports, TnT and the San Miguel arrange a final showdown with the Beermen, powered by Ardian "Ace" Custis, capturing the 2005 Fiesta Conference title.

The Alaska Aces are the defending champion of this year's Fiesta Cup.