SAN Miguel and Terrafirma square off for the first time since an offseason trade prior to the PBA Commissioner’s Cup, while Barangay Ginebra returns to the court just two days after its opening game of the conference.
Here is a preview of the matches:
TERRAFIRMA VS. SAN MIGUEL
When: Friday, December 13. 5 p.m.
Where: Ninoy Aquino Stadium
First face-off since trade
San Miguel and Terrafirma will square off for the first time since they figured in a major trade that saw the Beermen acquire Juami Tiongson and Andreas Cahilig from the Dyip in exchange for Vic Manuel and Terrence Romeo.
Tiongson is averaging 11.7 points and 2.3 threes in his first three games with the Beermen. Cahilig scored 12 points in his first game with San Miguel against Phoenix but has been quiet over the last two games with an average of 1.5 points and 2.5 rebounds.
Manuel has been on a resurgence of sorts as his playing time increased at Terrafirma, contributing 19.3 points. Romeo, on the other hand, has yet to play a single game for the Dyip, and is only expected to suit up for the team in January.
Slumping teams
Terrafirma hasn’t won a single game in four outings, and was coming off a close 96-91 loss to Meralco last December 6. Surprisingly, San Miguel is also struggling, having lost back-to-back including a 107-93 loss to Rain or Shine last Tuesday, falling to 1-2 win-loss.
Players to watch
Brent Paraiso exploded for 20 points for Terrafirma in its defeat against Meralco, and a repeat performance would be helpful for the Dyip’s chances of winning the game.
CJ Perez had a quiet game against Rain or Shine where he shot 4-for-14 from the field to finish with just nine points. San Miguel is hoping for Perez to regain his offense to break its losing slide.
BARANGAY GINEBRA VS. PHOENIX
When: Friday, December 13. 7:30 p.m.
Where: Ninoy Aquino Stadium
Off to a flyer
Barangay Ginebra began its grueling Commissioner’s Cup schedule with a 109-100 win over Phoenix last Wednesday. The Gin Kings go up against Phoenix with just one day to prepare, with Eastern on the horizon wafter another day of rest before the Sunday match.
Phoenix came close to winning again
The Fuelmasters got off to a slow start with their third straight defeat, including a tight contest against San Miguel last December 3 which they lost, 107-104, on a game-winning shot by Marcio Lassiter.
Their second defeat was actually a close one as well - a 111-109 decision against Meralco last November 29 won for the Bolts by a floater by Akil Mitchell.
Phoenix looks ripe for a win, but will it come against Barangay Ginebra?
Shooting well in its first game
Barangay Ginebra shot 53 percent from the field in the opening win over NLEX. The Gin Kings even shot 62 percent from threes with Stephen Holt leading the way by shooting 5-for-6 from threes. Coach Tim Cone said hot shooting made up for their mistakes during their first game of the conference, which he hopes will be minimized for their next outing against Phoenix
Tyler Tio on the rise
Phoenix guard Tyler Tio is improving game-by-game, and is coming off a season-high 23 points in the Fuelmasters’ loss to San Miguel. If his numbers will be sustained, Phoenix will have a shot at picking up the victory against Barangay Ginebra.
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