THE top two teams in the PBA Philippine Cup see action against slumping opponnents. Here is the rundown of the games and read some of the keys to victory.
TERRAFIRMA VS. NLEX
When: Wednesday, May 14. 5 p.m.
Where: Ninoy Aquino Stadium
Road Warriors vie to stretch win streak
NLEX will go for its fifth straight victory in the match against Terrafirma. Entering the game at second place with a 4-1 slate ahead of San Miguel (4-2), the Road Warriors got a break in terms of schedule as it was supposed to face Magnolia last Sunday until it was amended to give way to Meralco’s upcoming campaign in the Basketball Champions League Asia. So instead of facing the No. 1 team in the league, the Road Warriors stake their winning streak against the last placer.
NLEX could be in a share of first place with Magnolia at the end of the night if it wins over Terrafirma, and the Hotshots lose to Meralco in the second game. But a loss by NLEX will bring it in a tie for No. 2 with San Miguel.
Dyip look to arrest skid
Terrafirma has lost five in a row in lopsided fashion, including a 110-74 defeat at the hands of TNT last Friday. Of all the players, only Louie Sangalang and Stanley Pringle have provided consistent offensive numbers for the Dyip, averaging 16.8 and 11.3 respectively this conference.
Crashing the boards
One of the reasons for NLEX’s winning streak is rebounding as it has either equaled or surpassed their opponents in that statistical category during the winning streak. That included a 48-43 advantage in their 89-86 win over Barangay Ginebra last week. Terrafirma must do a better job off the boards, struggling in that department all conference long. Proof of that is their measly 5.2 second-chance points average during their losing skid.
Will NLEX manage Bolick’s minutes against Terrafirma?
Though he hasn’t missed games this conference, Robert Bolick played through a bruised quad yet finished with with 28 points, seven rebounds, and four assists against Ginebra. NLEX coach Jong Uichico hinted that they were considering resting Bolick prior to the Ginebra game so it won’t be a surprise if the Road Warriors manage his minutes for the match against the lowly Dyip.
MERALCO VS. MAGNOLIA
When: Wednesday, May 14. 7:30 p.m.
Where: Ninoy Aquino Stadium
Preserving its unbeaten slate
Seeking a sixth straight win, Magnolia will be out to maintain its unbeaten run in its match-up against Meralco. The Hotshots walloped Terrafirma, 127-94, last May 4, but face a stronger opposition in the reigning champions Bolts.
Quest to arrest slide
The Bolts have been on a slump, losing four of their last five games including a 101-84 defeat to TNT last Sunday. It’s lone win during that stretch was a 105-104 decision over NorthPort, which let a five-point lead slip away in the final seconds. Now with a 3-4 win-loss record, the Bolts must start to mount victories in their title retention bid especially with a busy schedule that will see them play three more games before seeing action in the Basketball Champions League Asia in June.
Paul Lee on a tear
While the youngsters led by Zav Lucero has been the primary contributors this conference, Paul Lee is also leading the veterans as he has regained his rhythm over the past three games, where he has averaged 13.3 points and 3.0 assists.
Bench needs to step up
Magnolia’s second and third unit continue to take advantage of coach Chito Victolero’s decision to spread the minutes of the players. They are averaging 67.4 points, including a 97 in the blowout win over Terrafirma. Meralco, on the other hand, has only got an average of 23.5 points from the bench over the last two games.
Meralco still giving up too much points
Known as a defensive team over the years, the Bolts continue to give up too many points this conference, and that showed against the Tropang 5G where they conceded more than 100 points for the fifth straight time.
Foul woes
The past few games have seen Meralco players getting into foul trouble. Cliff Hodge, for one, fouled out in back-to-back matches against Rain or Shine and NorthPort, but managed to stay in the game against TNT. Chris Newsome had four fouls in the Rain or Shine contest. Wednesday’s game against TNT was actually their lowest output in terms of fouls with 20 and it might need to stay that way in order for the Bolts to have chance against the Hotshots.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
