BARANGAY Ginebra goes for a share of first place in the PBA 50th Season Commissioner's Cup eliminations when it takes on Meralco on Labor Day at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
Also, Johnathan Williams marks his comeback at Phoenix Super LPG to join its playoff push, as he faces Bol Bol and TNT.
Here is a preview.
TNT VS. PHOENIX SUPER LPG
When: Friday, May 1. 5:15 p.m.
Where: Smart-Araneta Coliseum
Crucial tiff for playoff positioning
TNT (6-3) will be looking to clinch a quarterfinal berth and gain an inside track on one of the four twice-to-beat incentives. The Fuelmasters (5-4) are in sixth spot, and a loss could be costly as it will pull them into a tie with Magnolia and San Miguel in the standings.
Balik import for Phoenix
Phoenix Super LPG welcomes back Johnathan Williams to its fold at a time when the Fuelmasters are in their final push for a playoff spot. Williams, who won the Best Import award in the Season 48 Commissioner's Cup, replaces James Dickey, who drew the ire of Phoenix management when he didn't suit up in their previous outing against Converge, supposedly due to an ankle sprain. Williams, who played in Korea prior to his return to Phoenix, will have his hands full in his comeback game when he takes on Bol Bol.
Local support
TNT finally got help from the locals against Macau after three players scored in double digits against Macau in Jordan Heading (20), Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser (17), and Calvin Oftana (16). The hope is that TNT would see the same production against Phoenix.
BARANGAY GINEBRA VS. MERALCO
When: Friday, May 1. 7:30 p.m.
Where: Smart-Araneta Coliseum
Gins vie for share of lead
Barangay Ginebra seeks to stay hot and extend its winning streak to six against Meralco in the main game of the doubleheader. A win will move Ginebra in joint first place with NLEX and Rain or Shine in the team standings that will intensify the battle for the No. 1 seed in the quarterfinals.
End losing streak
Meralco is out to end its losing streak against Ginebra on Friday night. The Bolts (5-3) have lost two in a row last Tuesday when they were beaten by San Miguel, 103-92. A win will get fifth-placer Meralco back on track in the chase for twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals.
Shooting woes for Brickman
Meralco missed the offensive production of Jason Brickman in the loss to San Miguel after he scored only four points, shooting just 2-of-10 from the field and missing all six three-point attempts. He still dished out five assists against the Beermen, but his offense is still needed especially against the Gin Kings.
Troy steps up
Japeth Aguilar is not expected to play in Friday's game against Meralco, but other players have picked up the slack. One of them is Troy Rosario, who registered his second consecutive double-double after supplying 12 points and 13 rebounds in their win over Titan Ultra.
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