The PBA Commissioner’s Cup continues later today with two more games at the Ynares Center in Montalban. Early winners NLEX Road Warriors and Phoenix Fuel Masters will take on early losers Magnolia Hotshots and Titan Ultra Giant Risers.
1. Can Phoenix Build on Its Opening-Day Win?
The Fuel Masters gave Charles Tiu a winning debut in the Commissioner’s Cup thanks to strong games from James Dickey III and Jason Perkins. Now, they’ve got an excellent opportunity to build on that opening-day win as they take on a Titan squad that’s looking like a lottery team. Can they do it and give Tiu a 2-0 start?
2. Which Titan Will Rise Up?
The Giant Risers drew big games from Michael Gilmore and Joshua Munzon, but no one else stepped up in their opening-day loss to start the Commissioner’s Cup. If Titan Ultra has any hopes of winning games, it will need someone else or two to provide Gilmore and Munzon much-needed help. Who will be that Titan?
3. Can NLEX Dig Deep on Defense Again?
The Road Warriors hang their hats on defense, and that much was apparent when they held the Blackwater Bossing to 81 points to open the Commissioner’s Cup with a win. Magnolia, though, is no Blackwater, and LA Tenorio has got a lot more weapons than Jeffrey Cariaso. From Jerom Lastimosa to Nuni Omot to Ian Sangalang, the Hotshots will challenge that defense for sure. Can NLEX make a stand again?
4. Can Magnolia Find a Groove?
As good as Magnolia is on paper, it hasn’t really found an offensive groove since the early part of the Philippine Cup. The Hotshots didn’t have a rhythm either when they lost to Phoenix to open their Commissioner’s Cup campaign. So, can they finally find that groove against a defense-oriented squad?
PBA Commissioner’s Cup Action
Today’s Commissioner’s Cup double-header will be played at the Ynares Center in Montalban. The first game will see Phoenix taking on Titan Ultra, with tip-off at 5:00 p.m. NLEX will then face off against Magnolia at 7:30 p.m.
