The PBA Commissioner’s Cup resumes later today with a crucial twin bill that is sure to affect the top half of the standings. Both games will be played at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
NorthPort Meets Meralco, Looks to Continue Momentum
In the curtain-raiser, the white-hot NorthPort Batang Pier will take on the up-and-down Meralco Bolts. The former will look to move closer to a top-two seed, while the latter will try to move up the standings as the elimination round winds down.
At 8-1, NorthPort stands alone at the top of the standings, and a win will assure them of at least a tie for the top two seeds—and the twice to beat advantage they afford. A win for the 5-3 Bolts, on the other hand, will nudge them ahead in the standings and keep them in the running for the same twice-to-beat incentive
After beating Barangay Ginebra San Miguel a week ago, NorthPort coach Bonnie Tan admitted to tempering expectations to ease the pressure off his young wards. And it appears to be working.
“Before the tournament our goal was to get to the quarterfinals. Ngayon we’re discussing also na to lessen the pressure… our target is to get to the best-of-three. Para kung hindi namin ma-achieve ‘yung top (two) positions at least we’re in the middle man lang,” he said.
For Luigi Trillo and his Bolts, they know fully well they will be up against formidable opposition.
“They’ve found their rhythm, their import seems like a good fit, he brings a lot to the table. I think they’ve found good rhythm,” said Trillo of the Batang Pier. “They’re pretty solid all-around. Maganda inilalaro nila. I’m pleased with the way we played defense [versus the NLEX Road Warriors], we need to follow it up again. It’s gonna be tough because they [Batang Pier] have points of attack din.”
Game time between the Bolts and Batang Pier is 5:00 p.m.
Rain or Shine Takes on Converge in Battle of PBA Commissioner’s Cup Early Leaders
In the nightcap, the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters will go up against the Converge FiberXers in a battle of two teams in the top four of the standings. Both are coming off a loss and are trying to avoid back-to-back defeats.
The Elasto Painters (5-2) had been cruising to start the midseason tourney but suffered a shock defeat to the Phoenix Fuel Masters in their last game. A second consecutive loss will move Rain or Shine to the bottom half of the top four and in a logjam of several teams with three losses already.
Converge (6-3), meanwhile, had been riding high on a four-game winning streak before getting ambushed by the TNT Tropang Giga. Another loss could prove costlier for the FiberXers, at it will send them crashing out of the top four outright with two games remaining. Game time between Converge and Rain or Shine is set at 7:30 p.m.
