NLEX and San Miguel get a tuneup on Wednesday against separate foes before they duel to close their respective campaigns in the PBA 50th Season Governors’ Cup elimination round.
Also-ran Terrafirma and Titan Ultra, meanwhile, look to play the spoilers’ role in their penultimate assignments.
Read our preview.
TERRAFIRMA VS. SAN MIGUEL
When: Wednesday, October 14. 5:15 p.m.
Where: Ninoy Aquino Stadium
Grounded gunners
San Miguel will look to atone for its loss to TNT, 116-98, last Saturday when its heavy hitters struggled shooting the ball.
George King had his second-lowest output of the conference with 20 points, missing all eight of his three-point shots. Don Trollano and Jerrick Ahanmisi were also limited to only 2-of-9 from the field combined.
Dyip out to finish strong
Terrafirma won over Macau, 146-127, last Saturday to improve its record to 4-6, but was later ousted from playoff contention after TNT’s win over San Miguel. The Dyip, at fifth in Group A, will try to finish the conference strong with two games remaining.
Terrafirma lost to SMB, 109-104, the last time around, but not after the Dyip held a lead late only to collapse in the end.
Chiu vs. Fajardo
A colossal matchup at the center position will transpire with nine-time MVP June Mar Fajardo battling Terrafirma rookie Geo Chiu. The two are coming off huge double-double games, with Fajardo giving 14 points and 18 rebounds against TNT, and Chiu supplying 18 points and 20 rebounds against Macau.
NLEX VS. TITAN ULTRA
When: Wednesday, October 14. 7:30 p.m.
Where: Ninoy Aquino Stadium
Closing in on No. 1
NLEX faces Titan Ultra, with the Road Warriors looking to close in on the top spot in Group A. The Road Warriors are running first, with San Miguel right behind at 7-3.
After the game against the Giant Risers, the Road Warriors square off against the Beermen on October 21 to close out their elims schedule.
Deonte debut
The match saw the PBA debut of Deonte Burton after he took over for injured DeQuan Jones.
Burton had 22 points, 14 rebounds, eight assists, six steals, and two blocks against a depleted Macau squad. NLEX will play against a much better opponent in Titan Ultra, and Burton will be tested further.
Rise to the finish
Titan Ultra, with a 2-8 record for sixth-place in Group A, is already out of the running for a quarterfinal berth. Still, they are eyeing the best finish possible, especially after having lost three in a row, including a 152-119 defeat at the hands of Converge last Sunday.
In order to have a chance against NLEX, the Giant Risers must avoid giving up too many points just like in the fourth quarter against Converge where they gave up 53 points, fourth-most in league history.
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