TWO of the top three teams in the PBA 49th Season Commissioner’s Cup see action on Saturday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
Here's a preview of the double-header:
TNT VS. CONVERGE
When: Saturday, January 11. 5 p.m.
Where: Ninoy Aquino Stadium
One winning streak will go on
Streaking teams TNT and Converge face off in a marquee matchup. The Tropang Giga are on a three-game winning streak, sustaining it with a 101-99 victory over Meralco last January 7. The FiberXers, on the other hand, also overcame the Bolts, 110-94, on Christmas Day, extending their winning streak to four games.
Chot wary of Converge
TNT coach Chot Reyes knows they will have a challenging time in their match against Converge, which is running third with a 6-2 win-loss record.
“They really have three good guards – Schonny [Winston], [Jordan] Heading, and [Alec] Stockton. And then, kumpleto sila. They have those wings in [Kevin] Racal and even Mike Nieto. And then, the big man lineup with Balti [Baltazar] and [Justin] Arana, and they have an import that loves playing with and fits their game perfectly. Kumpleto, very deep, well-balanced team. We have our work cut out for us,” Reyes said.
Two BPC candidates set for action
TNT’s winning streak could be attributed to the consistent play of Calvin Oftana, who continues to be on fire from three, as he is averaging 4.25 conversions over the past four games. Oftana’s shooting has helped him surge to contention for the Best Player of the Conference award, standing at No. 4 in the statistical race.
“Mataas lang kumpiyansa ko,” said Oftana. “Kasi ginagawa ko naman ‘yun sa training. So I think ‘yun naman yung secret. Siyempre, hindi mawawala ‘yung coaches, mga kasama ko, giving me leeway na tumira and coach setting (up) plays para makatira (ako). Just giving it back to them ‘yung tiwala nila sa akin.”
Heading, who sits at No. 5 in the BPC race, was the last PBA Press Corps Player of the Week after he lit up with 30 points, while also shooting 4-for-6 from threes, and dishing out eight assists in Converge’s win over Meralco. A similar game by Heading would contribute to the FiberXers' chances of winning against the Tropang Giga.
PHOENIX VS. RAIN OR SHINE
When: Saturday, January 11. 7:30 p.m.
Where: Ninoy Aquino Stadium
Elasto Painters chasing the leader
Rain or Shine has won five straight games, including a 122-106 victory over Blackwater last Wednesday to stay in second place with a 5-1 win-loss record - still within earshot of NorthPort, the surprising leaders of the conference with a 7-1 slate.
Phoenix coming off win
The Fuel Masters are in 11th place in the standings with a 2-5 win-loss record, but are fresh off a 122-108 victory over Terrafirma. Phoenix coach Jamike Jarin said they are still hopeful that the new year will allow them to turn things around.
“This is only our second win, but there’s still a lot of games to play. We can’t do anything about the past games. We just have to learn from them. So now, the most important game is the game against Rain or Shine,” he said.
CYG seeing toughness to team
Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao is already seeing maturity from his wards, a good sign for their playoff aspirations.
“Puwedeng magka-rough patches, pero nakakabalik ka or nakakabawi ka. Kasi ganun talaga ang basketball. Very rare siguro na maglalaro ka perfectly, na all the way through na lumalamang ka at palaki nang palaki ‘yung lamang mo," he said.
"Dadaan ka talaga sa mga rough patches. How do you react to those adversities? Sa akin, tinitignan ko kung kaya bang bumalik, meron ba silang toughness to withstand those adversities. Nakikita ko na nagkakaroon na ng toughness ‘yung team namin.”
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