THREE teams try to bolster their bid for twice-to-beat advantage in the PBA Governors Cup playoffs, while one seeks outright entry in the quarterfinals as action in the season-ending meet resumes on Sunday at the Philsports Arena.
Meralco vs Phoenix
The Meralco Bolts will be looking to sustain the gain of their huge 132-129 win in overtime against Converge when they take on the Phoenix Fuel Masters in a game where the stakes are definitely high.
The victory over the FiberXers created a three-way logjam among Meralco, Converge, and Magnolia at 6-4, all within a shot of a top four spot at the end of the eliminations.
But the Bolts are going to the 4:30 p.m. encounter minus gunner Allein Maliksi, who was slapped with a one game suspension and a fine of P75,000 for his altercation with Converge big man Barkley Ebona in the dying seconds of the extra period on Friday.
Maliksi is averaging 16.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.3 assists this conference, his outside shooting opening up the inside lane for the Bolts.
And against Phoenix, the Bolts are up against a team that is seeking to earn an outright quarterfinal berth with a win.
The Fuel Masters lost their last game against defending champion Barangay Ginebra, 109-89, for a 4-6 record, but are assured of a playoff in case there would be a tie for the eighth and final playoffs spot.
Barangay Ginebra vs. Converge
The defending champions haven’t slowed down even after the Fiba Basketball World Cup qualifiers as national team stalwarts Scottie Thompson, Jamie Malonzo, and naturalized Filipino citizen Justin Brownlee continue to churn out huge numbers for the Kings.
They will carry with them the momentum of a three-game winning run against the FiberXers in their 6:45 p.m. encounter as the 6-2 Kings hope to catch up with idle San Miguel (7-2) at no. 2.
Converge had lost its last two outings and another setback could put coach Aldin Ayo and the FiberXers in danger of missing a Top 4 finish by the end of the eliminations.
Ebona was spared of suspension following his incident with Maliksi, but was penalized for P5K and warned of a stiffer penalty with a repeat of such action.
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