BARANGAY Ginebra and Phoenix battle on Sunday before the PBA 50th Season Philippine Cup takes a break to give way to the Gilas Pilipinas’ campaign in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers.
NLEX, meanwhile, faces Titan Ultra in the first game of a PBA doubleheader to be played at the University of Santo Tomas Quadricentennial Pavilion.
Here the preview.
NLEX VS. TITAN ULTRA
When: Sunday, November 16. 5:15 p.m.
Where: University of Santo Tomas Quadricentennial Pavilion Arena
NLEX vies for share of lead
NLEX looks to join Rain or Shine atop the standings before the FIBA break when it goes up against Titan Ultra in the first game. With a 5-2 win-loss record, the Road Warriors will look to continue winning after their 105-91 win over Rain or Shine last November 8.
Mammoth defeat in previous game
Titan Ultra lost in its most recent outing by a wide margin. The Giant Risers had no chance from the get go and were routed by San Miguel, 158-117. Titan Ultra, which has a 2-5 card, will look to bounce back from that sorry loss.
Onwubere in line for debut
Sidney Onwubere has been activated for Sunday’s game after recently signing a two-conference contract with the Road Warriors. Onwubere will actually be facing Titan Ultra, the team that purchased the franchise of his former team NorthPort but left him unsigned in the offseason.
PHOENIX VS. BARANGAY GINEBRA
When: Sunday, November 16. 7:30 p.m.
Where: University of Santo Tomas Quadricentennial Pavilion Arena
Gin Kings eye bounce back win
Ginebra is out to improve on its 2-4 win-loss record before the FIBA break. The Gin Kings were defeated by Converge, 106-96, last Friday - their third game in four outings. Before he goes into his Gilas Pilipinas duties, Tim Cone hopes to right the Ginebra ship.
Phoenix go for back-to-back wins
Phoenix ended a four-game losing skid last Wednesday when it upended Terrafirma, 107-76, at the Ynares Center-Montalban.
Important game with playoff implications
Ginebra is currently in eighth place but right in its tail is its Sunday opponent Phoenix and Titan Ultra, which also has a game on the same day. The Fuelmasters and the Giant Risers hold a 2-5 win-loss record, and a win by either or both teams will move them up to eighth place and dislodge the Gin Kings, at least for the meantime.
UST not so friendly for Ginebra?
The PBA plays its first official game at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion, but the venue already hosted a PBA On Tour match-up last July 5, 2023 where Ginebra faced Meralco as part of the exhibition series. The Gin Kings, however, lost that outing, 106-93. The On Tour team of the Gin Kings mostly had second stringers, but will now have a full team for the match-up against Phoenix.
Japeth struggles against Converge
After two solid games, Japeth Aguilar was limited to only seven points and seven rebounds while shooting 3-of-9 from the field against Converge where he battled Justin Arana and Justine Baltazar down low. Aguilar will try to bounce back against the Phoenix frontline.
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