THE MPBL’s premier clash of the regular season is set as the Pampanga Giant Lanterns face the defending champion Nueva Ecija Vanguards on Saturday.
The Giant Lanterns play at home against the Vanguards at the Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center in the most awaited game of the season.
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Gametime is at 8 p.m.
The Giant Lanterns have been the gold standard of the season so far as they are unbeaten in 15 games with Justine Baltazar leading the charge averaging 18 points and 17 rebounds per contest.
Pampanga coached by no less than the province’s governor Dennis Pineda even got a reinforcement after signing ex-PBA cager Encho Serrano midway through the season, posting 23.7 points in three games for the Giant Lanterns.
The Vanguards have also showed that they are one of the top teams in the league with their 14-1 mark in the North Division, just one game behind the Lanterns in the standings. Last year’s champions’ only loss thus far came at the expense of the Sarangani Marlins, 134-123, last June 3.
Nueva Ecija has been an intact group with Will McAloney, Michael Juico, Byron Villarias, and Michael Mabulac forming the core of the Vanguards.
But like the Giant Lanterns, the Vanguards coached by Jerson Cabiltes also acquired new players in the middle of the competition led by former PBA player Roi Sumang, who have played for three games and averaged 8.3 points a contest.
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