Phoenix will look to repeat against Blackwater as they figure in a rematch in the PBA Season 50 Governors’ Cup later at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
The two will open the double-header offering at 5:15 PM. And the Fuel Masters are hoping to go back-to-back against the team they beat, 103-92, just last week at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
With the result, Coach Charles Tiu and his men bounced back from the 105-98 defeat they suffered at the hands of Rain or Shine. And more importantly, it kept them on top of what’s been a competitive Group B with a 4-1 record.
Now, they want to stay in that spot, which they can by beating the Bossing again, though they know it won’t be easy this time.
Coach Pat Aquino & Co. are becoming a desperate bunch. That loss to Phoenix was actually their third in a row — that, after a promising 2-0 start.
Prior to the Fuel Masters, they bowed to Meralco and Barangay Ginebra, with the latter loss the hardest to fathom since they were blown out, 115-85. Now, all eyes will be on Blackwater to see if it can snap out of this nightmare stretch before it’s too late.
According to Casino Plus sportsbook, the Bossing are a +3.5 underdog heading into the contest, with the over/under set at 199.5.
Bets can be placed here: https://www.casinoplus.com.ph/home/inGame?name=basketball&title=SportBet.
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Scheduled for the 7:30 PM game is another meeting between San Miguel and Converge, a duel between teams hoping to get back on track in Group A.
In the head-to-head, the Beermen have the advantage, having beaten the FiberXers, 128-122, in their first-round matchup.
That loss proved more painful for Coach Delta Pineda and his wards, because it started their current three-game losing skid.
However, SMB has looked shaky as well. After opening the tournament with three straight wins, it has dropped two of its last three games. The Beermen fell to Jimmy Alapag’s NLEX, then bounced back with a 38-point rout of Titan Ultra, before suffering an overtime loss to rivals TNT.
How both the traditional contenders and the youth-laden squad regain their footing heading into the second round will be one of the tournament’s more intriguing storylines.
San Miguel is a -4.0 favorite, according to Casino Plus sportsbook. The total over/under for points is set at 232.5.
