NLEX faces an acid test on Wednesday when it battles Barangay Ginebra as the PBA 49th Season Philippine Cup returns at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium. The first game will feature teams that are out to bounce back from defeats in Blackwater and Rain or Shine.
Here’s what to watch for in the games.
BLACKWATER VS. RAIN OR SHINE
When: Wednesday, May 5. 5 p.m.
Where: Ninoy Aquino Stadium
Coming off defeats
One team between Blackwater and Rain or Shine will go on a two-game losing streak at the end of Wednesday’s contest. The Bossing fell to 1-3 after they lost to NLEX, 80-72, last Friday, while the Elasto Painters slipped to 2-2 following a 107-97 defeat to Converge last April 30.
Belga, Tiongson back with Rain or Shine
Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao revealed to PBA.ph that Beau Belga and Caelan Tiongson are slated to be back in action for Wednesday’s match-up. Belga is set to make his Philippine Cup debut after being sidelined by vertigo, while Tiongson missed the game against the FiberXers due to back spasms. With the two out, Rain or Shine was sorely outplayed down low by Justin Arana and Justine Baltazar.
Are Barefield, David going to play?
Sedrick Barefield and Christian David are gametime decisions after missing the previous match against NLEX. Barefield sat out against the Road Warriors due to a pulled hamstring, while David played sparingly after sustaining a sprained ankle. Their presence is needed especially offensively against Rain or Shine.
BARANGAY GINEBRA VS. NLEX
When: Wednesday, May 5. 7:30 p.m.
Where: Ninoy Aquino Stadium
A big test for NLEX
On a three-game winning streak, NLEX will look to extend that against Barangay Ginebra in its first of three clashes against traditional title contenders. The Road Warriors are in solo second place with a 3-1 slate after their 80-72 win over Blackwater last Friday. NLEX has already defeated Rain or Shine and TNT during the winning streak, but the Road Warriors played those teams in their debut games of the conference. Wednesday will be a different story with Barangay Ginebra now in its third game.
Ginebra on roller-coaster ride
The Gin Kings will be seeking their first winning streak in the match-up against NLEX. Ginebra is coming off a 131-106 rout of NorthPort to improve to 2-1 - a bounce-back victory after it dropped a 104-93 loss to San Miguel last April 25.
Collective effort needed again
NLEX’s chances of winning against Ginebra will improve if multiple players step up once again. The three-game streak has seen the emergence of other players such as JB Bahio, Xyrus Torres, and Dominick Fajardo, among others, to support the expected contributions of Robert Bolick. Six players scored in double digits for NLEX in their 91-74 win over TNT last April 23 with Bahio even producing a double-double of 13 points and 12 rebounds.
Stretching its rotation
The past three games have seen Ginebra coach Tim Cone stretch his rotation with guys such as Nards Pinto, Von Pessumal, Ben Adamos, and even Raymond Aguilar seeing action. One player that benefited from this was Jayson David. In his first game of the conference since being activated in lieu of LA Tenorio, David had 25 points and nine rebounds in Ginebra’s 131-106 win over NorthPort. It won’t be a surprise if Cone does the same early in the conference.
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