SAN Miguel and Barangay Ginebra joust for the series lead in Game 3 of the PBA 49th Season Philippine Cup semifinals. On the other hand, TNT will look to step closer to another finals appearance against Rain or Shine in their own series.
Why the Gin Kings must start like a house on fire and why the Tropang Giga must cut down on their turnovers despite being up in the series in this preview of Sunday’s double-header at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
TNT VS. RAIN OR SHINE
When: Sunday, June 29. 5 p.m.
Where: Smart-Araneta Coliseum
Going for 3-0 lead
TNT guns for a commanding 3-0 advantage in the semifinals against Rain or Shine on Sunday.
READ: Oftana takes over for injured 'amigo' Pogoy in TNT OT win
The Tropang 5G came away with a 113-105 overtime victory vs. the Elasto Painters in Game 2 following the heroics of Calvin Oftana.
Rain or Shine has always won Game 3
During the past two face-offs in the semifinals between the two teams, Rain or Shine has won Game 3. The Elasto Painters won in the Governors’ Cup by just one point, 110-109, then in the Commissioner’s Cup, 103-98, before eventually losing the next two matches.
Who will step up with Pogs uncertain for Game 3?
RR Pogoy is facing the possibility of missing Game 3 due to a hamstring injury that he has been nursing since the Magnolia quarterfinal series.
Fortunately for TNT, Kim Aurin, Mike Nieto, and Almond Vosotros combined for 20 points to pick up the slack in Game 2. The Tropang 5G need a similar showing from those guys in order to again have a chance in Game 3.
Free throw woes for Rain or Shine in Game 2
Rain or Shine lost the game by eight in Game 2, and it would have won the match had it made more free throws. The Elasto Painters shot 20-of-34 from the foul line, some of coming at the most crucial time.
Adrian Nocum, Caelan Tiongson, Andrei Caracut, and Santi Santillan each missed three free throws in Game 2.
Cut down the turnovers
TNT won in overtime, but wouldn’t even have been in that position if not for its turnovers. The Tropang 5G had seven errors in the fourth quarter, enabling the Elasto Painters to come back from a 90-76 deficit with eight minutes left in regulation.
SAN MIGUEL VS. BARANGAY GINEBRA
When: Sunday, June 29. 7:30 p.m.
Where: Smart-Araneta Coliseum
Who will get the 2-1 series lead
San Miguel and Ginebra battle it out in Game 3 for the lead in their best-of-seven series. The Beermen evened their duel after defeating the Gin Kings, 100-83, and leading by as many as 23 points.
JMF status still in question
June Mar Fajardo played in Game 2 despite sustaining calf tightness in the series opener. He logged 17 minutes and 39 seconds and had two points and seven rebounds.
Four days after getting hurt, the question now is whether Fajardo is a lot healthier for Game 3 - and even beyond.
READ: No-brainer to still play June Mar in Game Two, says Austria
Another question is whether Mo Tautuaa and Rodney Brondial can continue their strong showings in Game 2 where Tautuaa had 10 points and 10 rebounds and Brondial produced eight rebounds with Fajardo not 100-percent.
Ginebra must not start flat
For the second consecutive game, Ginebra started slow after being outscored, 26-15, in the first quarter. This is actually the trend of the series, with the Gin Kings also falling behind, 29-19, in Game 1 and were forced to a mount a comeback to win the opener.
All in all, Ginebra is a combined for 13-of-40 from the field and has been outrebounded, 31-21, in the first quarters of this series.
Japeth missing on offense
Ginebra sorely missed the production of Japeth Aguilar on the offensive end. Aguilar only had five points on 2-of-5 shooting from the field in Game 2.
Although he collected five rebounds and six assists, he also committed five turnovers. Considering that Fajardo is dealing with an injury, Aguilar must take advantage and assert himself for Game 3.
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