BOL Bol resumes his campaign in the PBA 50th Season Commissioner’s Cup as TNT goes up against Meralco at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
Also in this preview is the first game of the day between Magnolia and Terrafirma.
TERRAFIRMA VS. MAGNOLIA
When: Tuesday, April 7. 5:15 p.m.
Where: Ninoy Aquino Stadium
First win streak for Magnolia?
Magnolia battles Terrafirma with a second straight victory in mind. After losing the first three games of the conference, the Hotshots finally claimed their first win by beating Macau Black Knights, 121-109, last March 28. The Hotshots are in a share of ninth place with Blackwater and Titan Ultra with a 1-3 win-loss record.
Get back to winning
Terrafirma looks to get back to its winning ways on Tuesday in its clash against Magnolia. The Dyip were beaten by Phoenix Super LPG, 133-105, last March 25 after winning their first three games. Terrafirma is in joint third place alongside Meralco with a 3-1 win-loss record.
Limit turnovers
Turnovers cost Terrafirma dearly in the game against Phoenix Super LPG. The Dyip's 17 errors led to 22 turnover points for the Fuelmasters. Taking care of the ball will matter for Terrafirma against Magnolia.
Solid debut for Chapman
Magnolia claimed its first victory after an impressive debut by Clinton Chapman, contributing 39 points on a 64 shooting percentage and 15 rebounds after he replaced Nuni Omot as import.
Mubashar Ali must bounce back
Terrafirma import Mubashar Ali started his PBA career on a heater when he averaged 33 points. But against Phoenix Super LPG, Ali only had nine points while shooting only 4-of-13 from the field. Ali must recover his knockout punch for the Dyip to have a chance against Magnolia.
Barroca regains form
Mark Barroca logged his most minutes of the conference against Macau where he had 27, and had his best numbers by chipping in eight points, six rebounds, and seven assists. Magnolia is definitely going to benefit if the trend continues for Barroca.
MERALCO VS. TNT
When: Tuesday, April 7. 7:30 p.m.
Where: Ninoy Aquino Stadium
Sister teams collide
TNT and Meralco go up against each other for the first time since January 14, when the Tropang 5G ousted the Bolts, 99-96, in Game 6 of the Philippine Cup.
TNT out to extend winning streak
TNT tries to stretch its winning run to three games. After losing its first game, TNT has clustered two consecutive victories after its 118-92 blowout win over San Miguel last March 28. If everything pans out for them in the game against Meralco, TNT will be in a share of third place at the end of the night.
Meralco goes for joint second
Meralco owns a 3-1 win-loss slate after the Bolts came away with a 118-105 win over Titan Ultra last March 29. The Bolts look to join NLEX at second place at the end of the playdate.
Kelly is back
TNT welcomes Kelly Williams into the fold after being activated in lieu of Jio Jalalon, who has been relegated to the team’s unrestricted free agent with rights to salary list. Williams’ presence makes TNT an even taller team ahead of the game against Meralco.
Cansino on the rise
After being limited to only 13 points in their loss to Rain or Shine, CJ Cansino regained his scoring ways by churning 26 points to lead Meralco to the win. Cansino has become one of Meralco’s leading scorers and a similar showing will boost the Bolts’ chances of beating TNT.
Can Meralco neutralize Bol Bol?
Meralco may have the benefit of familiarity when it goes up against TNT import Bol Bol. During the offseason, Meralco was the only team that got to play TNT and Bol in a tune-up game before the Commissioner’s Cup. Perhaps that chance to play against Bol first hand in a preseason game aside from studying the game tapes of TNT's previous games could come in handy for Tuesday's game. Bol has been as good as advertised for TNT with averages of 37.3 points and 16.3 rebounds through three games with the Tropang 5G.
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