BARANGAY Ginebra seeks to cap off its grueling week on a high note when it tangles with Meralco in a second straight PBA Governors’ Cup out-of-town playdate, this time at the Quezon Convention Center in Lucena on Saturday.
Playing the last of their three games over a six-day stretch, the Gin Kings aim for their first winning streak of the season-ending conference, but are facing a tough opponent in the Bolts, led by prolific import Allen Durham.
“Getting a win before we go into the All-Star break and generating some momentum would be huge for us, but Meralco, with their inside presence of Durham, is a real concern,” Gin Kings coach Tim Cone said on the eve of the 5 p.m. affair.
“Good news for us is: Justin is continuing to adjust to PBA conditions and that will help him out-of-town here,” he added, referring to Ginebra replacement import Justin Brownlee.
Ginebra can also bank on its success in out-of-town games, earning the 'kings of the road' tag for a five-game winning streak in games away from the metro since last season.
Interestingly, the Bolts seem to be unlucky on the road as they are coming into the match with a five-game losing streak.
Durham is also adjusting to his mask that protects a broken nose, a distraction that factored in him being held to just 14 points, missing 10 of his 16 shots in 40 minutes, in the Bolts’ 98-95 loss to TNT Katropa following his first two games that saw him average 34 points on 60.5-percent shooting.
Brownlee, on the other hand, played free from cramps as he put up an all-around performance of 24 points, 15 boards, four assists, two blocks, and one steal in 35 minutes in leading the Gin Kings to an 85-72 victory over NLEX last Wednesday.
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