ARWIND Santos and San Miguel play in Wednesday’s opener of the 2021 PBA Governors’ Cup but in separate games as they begin a new chapter at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City.
Santos looks to lead NorthPort to victory in the opening game as they face Alaska at 3 p.m., while his former squad goes up against NLEX at 6 p.m.
It will be the first game for Santos wih the Batang Pier since he was shipped by the Beermen in a blockbuster trade for Vic Manuel, ending his 12-year stint with the team where he won nine championships.
The Beermen also made moves outside of the Santos deal as they were able to acquire Simon Enciso from Terrafirma for Alex Cabagnot.
NorthPort will face an Alaska squad that also made roster changes, acquiring Mike Tolomia in a trade with Blackwater in for JVee Casio and Barkley Ebona, while recruiting former NLEX cager Olu Ashaolu as its import.
“Malakas din sila lalo na meron silang Olu Ashaolu at intact team naman sila,” said NorthPort coach Pido Jarencio. “Actually, kami, ang mindset namin is one game at a time. May goal pero sabi ko sa kanila, check muna natin ‘yung every game kung saan tayo papunta. Kung manalo tayo ng manalo, saka natin malalaman kung saan tayo pupunta. Playoffs muna ang target.”
Alaska now has Mike Tolomia after sending Barkley Ebona and JVee Casio to Blackwater.
Jarencio also bared that Garvo Lanete and Arth Dela Cruz, acquired in a trade with Barangay Ginebra for Sidney Onwubere, will sit out the game because of injuries.
But Jarencio looks forward to their first game with Santos formally joining Robert Bolick, Jamie Malonzo, and Greg Slaughter in the line-up, along with import Cameron Forte.
The Beermen begin their new campaign after being ousted in the semifinals of the Philippine Cup against TNT, the eventual champion of the conference.
Aside from Manuel and Enciso, Brandon Brown will also seeing action for the first time as San Miguel’s import.
Brown will be up against NLEX import KJ McDaniels, no longer new to the PBA style having played for TNT in the 2019 Governors’ Cup.
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