Pat Aquino and Blackwater will look to slay another giant when they take on the streaking Barangay Ginebra in the nightcap of Friday’s PBA Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup offering at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
The Bossing are seen as the underdogs coming into the 7:30 p.m. bout with the Casino Plus sportsbook in favor of the Kings at -12.0 but confidence is sky-high for the crew after taking the scalp of no less than San Miguel.
The over/under is set at 207.0.
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Wanting to keep their quarterfinal hopes alive, Sedrick Barefield & Co. pulled off the king-sized upset last Wednesday, spoiling the Beermen’s bid to build their first winning streak with Bennie Boatwright, who played in his second game.
They actually led by as many as 22 before the traditional powerhouse caught up behind a massive third quarter, but Blackwater flexed poise in the endgame that saw plenty of heroes step up, in the process giving Aquino his first win.
“I told them they’re gonna come back. This is a champion team, and Coach Leo is a champion coach. They’re gonna pull everything on us to get back at us. I just told the boys to never stop playing,” said the 54-year-old former player.
Now, another perennial contender awaits him and the Bossing in what should also be an interesting coaching battle between veteran internationalists.
“It’s gonna be hard for us because it’s back-to-back games against another champion, and of course, my idol, Tim Cone,” Aquino said with a smile, expressing admiration for the man who was once his Gilas Men counterpart.
It sure is going to be challenging for them, as they will be taking on a Ginebra team that seems to be picking things up after a shaky start to the tilt.
The crowd darlings are in the midst of a three-game winning streak, having racked up victories against rival Magnolia, Phoenix, and, most recently Terrafirma, in which they knocked down 18 triples for the 111-103 victory.
Still, head coach Tim Cone refuses to be confident whatsoever, even though the Barangay–currently sharing the third spot of the team standings with Meralco at 5-2–are the favorites entering their clash against the 2-6 Bossing.
“Any team in the PBA can beat you up any night … so we have to be aware of that, we have to be cognizant of that. We have to make sure we’re prepared and ready for each game,” the league’s winningest mentor offered.
(C) PBA Images
Meanwhile, meeting at 5:15 p.m. to open Friday’s twinbill are TNT and Macau, with the guest team hoping to pull off an upset for back-to-back wins.
After losing in their first seven outings, the Black Knights finally broke through by taking down Titan Ultra, 119-107, with Jenning Leung starring with 32 points.
Definitely, they’re chasing that kind of high again, and the men of Coach Marcus Elliott would want to get that against none other than the defending conference champions, whose confidence was dented by a 97-92 loss to Converge.
The Tropang 5G were shooting for a third straight win, but their shooting woes caught up with them, enabling Mikey Williams and the FiberXers to net their second win in three outings to keep their playoff hopes alive.
Coach Chot Reyes & Co. fell to 5-3, but they aren’t that far from the Top Four yet. The team is currently sharing the fifth spot with the Fuel Masters.
Plus, they’re still touted as the favorites against Macau. They’re seen to win by -12 points, with the over/under in total points scored set at 213.0, according to Casino Plus sportsbook.
