WEDNESDAY’S playdate in the PBA 49th Season Philippine Cup will feature only one team that has a game with playoff implications as Rain or Shine looks to improve its chances of securing a twice-to-beat incentive in the quarterfinals.
Here is a preview of the doubleheader.
TERRAFIRMA VS. RAIN OR SHINE
When: Wednesday, June 4. 5 p.m.
Where: Philsports Arena
Rain or Shine eyes joint fourth
Rain or Shine looks to grab a share of fourth place with Barangay Ginebra in its match-up against lowly Terrafirma. The Elasto Painters, with a 5-3 win-loss mark, are currently in a deadlock with TNT at fifth place. A loss would drop Rain or Shine to seventh so this game is not to be taken lightly.
Free throws and turnovers
Rain or Shine overcame Phoenix, 109-99, in its previous game, but the winning margin could have been more. The Elasto Painters shot only 59 percent from the foul line, their second-worst this conference. Something that also needs cleaning up is the Elasto Painters' 19 turnovers - their most this conference.
Lemetti out for the season
Rain or Shine will be missing Felix Lemetti for the rest of the season after he sustained a fractured hand in practice. After a lackluster Commissioner’s Cup, Lemetti has been playing better this conference with averages of 6.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 3.6 assists in the Philippine Cup before going down with an injury.
Converge game a sign of good things to come for Terrafirma?
Terrafirma lost to Converge in its previous game to fall to 1-8, but there looks to be a glimmer of hope for the Dyip after they had leads of 39-29 at the end of the first quarter and 92-88 after the third. For the first three quarters, the Dyip were shooting 50 percent from the field. The problem was Terrafirma couldn’t sustain its form as the Dyip were outscored, 29-11, in the fourth.
PHOENIX VS. NORTHPORT
When: Wednesday, June 4. 7:30 p.m.
Where: Philsports Arena
Playing for pride
Already out of contention for a quarterfinal spot, Phoenix and NorthPort battle for pride in their clash. The Fuelmasters sit at ninth and 10th with 2-7 and 1-7 win-loss records respectively entering the game.
No sign yet of Calvin Abueva
The status of Calvin Abueva for Wednesday’s game remains unclear as there are no signs yet that he is set to make his debut with the Batang Pier, as of posting time.
SOURCES SAY NorthPort acting like a team that's about to be sold
NorthPort needs more support for Munzon
NorthPort lost to TNT, 94-70, in its first game since parting ways with William Navarro in a trade with Magnolia. Joshua Munzon scored 20 points for the Batang Pier but was the lone double-digit scorer for the team. After scoring the least number of points this conference during the TNT game, other players must step up.
Time to shine for Phoenix bigs
With NorthPort playing with a smaller line-up following the trade, Phoenix’s bigs must take advantage. Kai Ballungay is a leading candidate to do so, hauling 10 and 11 rebounds over the past two games for the Fuelmasters. Jason Perkins will also look for a repeat of his effort against Rain or Shine where he had 28 points on 10-of-15 from two-point range.
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