MAGNOLIA battles Meralco on Friday in an important game for both squads in the race for quarterfinal berths in the PBA 50th Season Governors’ Cup.
NLEX will also go for its seventh straight win when it takes on Terrafirma at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
Here is a preview.
TERRAFIRMA VS. NLEX
When: Friday, August 7. 5:15 p.m.
Where: Ninoy Aquino Stadium
Going for seventh straight
NLEX tries to maintain its unbeaten start in seven games when it clashes with Terrafirma. The Road Warriors beat TNT, 88-83, last Tuesday to extend their franchise-best sixth straight win to start the conference. Jimmy Alapag became the first coach in his first conference to achieve such a start.
Shooting woes from threes
NLEX found a way to win over TNT even though it scored its fewest points for the conference, no thanks to 33-of-72 shooting from the field, also the lowest in makes and attempts.
The Road Warriors also made just 4-of-16 shots from three-point range for a 25-percent clip, their worst showing this conference.
Turnovers piled up
Terrafirma dropped its record to 2-4 last July 29 after absorbing a 96-92 defeat to Macau in a game where the Dyip registered a conference-worst 20 turnovers. One error proved costly after Jenning Leung poked the ball away from Maverick Ahanmisi in the dying seconds, leading to a game-winning layup by Kobey Lam.
Juami wasn’t in his element
Terrafirma’s loss to Macau also saw Juami Tiongson scoring only 15 points, his second lowest in this conference.
He had to earn every point, as he went 5-of-17 for 29-percent, his worst shooting percentage this conference.
Winston conference-low, Bolick cold shooting
NLEX’s two top guns didn’t have their usual nights last Tuesday in the win over TNT. After averaging 28 points in the three previous games, Schonny Winston scored a conference-low nine points after going 3-of-8 from the field.
Robert Bolick failed to get near a triple-double after two consecutive close calls, and tallied just 10 points on 4-of-12 from the field, five rebounds, and five assists. The two guards will try to atone against Terrafirma.
MAGNOLIA VS. MERALCO
When: Friday, August 7. 7:30 p.m.
Where: Ninoy Aquino Stadium
First winning streak aimed for
Magnolia looks to clinch its first winning streak of the conference in its tussle against Meralco. The Hotshots defeated Barangay Ginebra, 88-73, last Sunday to improve their tally to 2-3.
Aside from going for a .500 record, Magnolia will also look to tie Blackwater at third-place in the Group B team standings, as it tries to sweep its elimination round series against Meralco.
Numbers up and down
Zavier Lucero had his best scoring outing this conference in the win over Ginebra when he had 24 points. That game also marked the fourth time that Lucero hit a double-double this conference.
But Jerom Lastimosa had his worst scoring output of the conference when he only had five points on only 2-of-6 from the field against the Gin Kings, bringing his average from the last two games to 7.0. Lastimosa was averaging 12.7 during the first three games.
Meralco woes
Meralco, standing at 2-4, looks to get back to its winning ways, as the Bolts are in a three-game losing streak after their 85-83 loss to Rain or Shine. Meralco's losing skid started in its first game against Magnolia, 112-98, last July 24.
Cliff controversy
Cliff Hodge will play his first game since being engulfed in a controversy where Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao called him ‘the dirtiest player in the league’ after an unsportsmanlike foul against Adrian Nocum.
The incident somehow overshadowed Hodge’s solid outing against the Elasto painters when he had 14 points on 7-of-10 from the field, and five rebounds.
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