Two teams that figured in easily one of the PBA Season 50’s best games find themselves crossing paths anew as Ginebra and Converge headline Sunday’s Commissioner’s Cup action at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
Tipoff is set at 7:30 p.m., with the Kings and the FiberXers squaring off for the first time since the Philippine Cup quarterfinals last December, which went down as a classic as it needed extra time before the crowd darlings won.
It could be recalled that the league’s most popular team came out triumphant by channeling its ‘NSD’ spirit yet again, coming back from six down in overtime before Stephen Holt knocked down the game-winning trey at the buzzer.
His heroics helped the Barangay overcome a twice-to-win disadvantage to reach the semis, and their upcoming bout sees them as a favorite as far as the CasinoPlus sportsbook is concerned as they’re favored to win by 5.5 points.
The over/under score total, meanwhile, is set at 205.5.
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Fans are, of course, hoping for another epic clash to take place, but both teams’ main goal is simply to realign their campaigns on the right track.
Ginebra, for one, is looking for an immediate bounce-back after collapsing late and eventually falling to NLEX by way of a 118-113 decision just last Friday, with Robert Bolick towing the Road Warriors from down six with five minutes left.
Converge, on the other hand, is hoping not just to avenge that Yuletide loss but also to arrest its three-game skid, as the young crew hasn’t tasted a win since opening its conference with a come-from-behind victory against Macau.
The FiberXers’ last loss was a 103-99 result to San Miguel due to an endgame that brought shades of their playoff bout with the Kings, as Alec Stockton got called for a foul on Don Trollano, leading to the marginal free throws.
(C) PBA Images
Set to open Sunday’s double-header are Titan Ultra and Meralco at 5:15 p.m., with the Bolts favored to win via a wide 15.5 margin, according to Casino Plus sportsbooks, with the over/under in total points scored set at 202.5.
The Giant Risers are entering the match with sky-high morale. They’re coming off a stunning 119-112 victory over the Beermen after a 0-2 start in the tourney, with Joshua Munzon and Michael Gilmore showing the way.
It also gave head coach Rensy Bajar his first PBA win, and definitely, they would want a follow-up, which, if the team does, would hike their card to .500 as well.
But eyes are also on the Bolts, particularly on import Marvin Jones, with some curious to see how he’d bounce back as his performance left a lot to be desired in their eventual loss to an all-Filipino Rain or Shine unit last Friday.
The Elasto Painters didn’t have Jaylen Johnson due to the one-game ban he got from his fistfight with Glenn Khobuntin, and Jones was expected to at least take advantage of the situation, which he did in the first half by scoring 17.
That, however, would be all from him as he got held scoreless in the second half, although he finished with 16 rebounds and three assists.
Still, the fact of the matter remains: Meralco lost, thus foiling its bid to win a third successive game while the opposition seized the provisional lead.
