Rivals will take center stage before the PBA heads into a lengthy break as Ginebra and Meralco face off again in what should be another playoff-like battle in the Season 50 Governors’ Cup later at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
Tip-off between the two Group B teams is set for 7:30 PM, with the Kings looking to maintain their mastery of the Bolts this conference after prevailing in their first-round encounter, 84-75.
But the crowd darlings aren’t simply looking for a repeat, while their foes won’t be content with mere payback. Both teams feel determined to get their respective campaigns back on track.
That’s because the perennial contenders currently sit at the bottom of their pool. Ginebra is fifth with a 2-3 record, while Meralco is dead last in sixth at 2-5 — unfamiliar positions for teams of their caliber.
In fact, both teams’ most recent losses came at the hands of the suddenly surging Magnolia. The Kings suffered a 73-88 defeat on August 2, while the Bolts followed suit just five days later, absorbing an 88-105 beating.
Of the two, however, it is Meralco that is arguably coming in as the more desperate side. Its loss to the Hotshots marked its fourth straight defeat, currently the longest active losing streak in this season-ending tournament.
That prompted coach Luigi Trillo and the Meralco brain trust to activate Jordon Varnado in place of Antonio Hester, hoping the FIBA BCL veteran can provide the spark needed to finally turn their fortunes around.
Barring any hitch, Varnado is expected to make his debut later in an immediate litmus test for him as he’ll be going up against Ginebra and its fans.
Meralco is entering the matchup as a +4.5 underdog, according to Casino Plus sportsbook. The over/under is set at 193.5.
Bets can be placed here: https://www.casinoplus.com.ph/home/inGame?name=basketball&title=SportBet.
While it would be an intriguing import matchup between Varnado and the younger Riley Grigsby of the Kings, the double-header opener at 5:15 PM will see Group A leader NLEX take on Converge with an all-local lineup.
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The Road Warriors lost DeQuan Jones to a fractured leg in their eventual win over TNT last Tuesday. The time in between then and now clearly wasn’t enough for Coach Jimmy Alapag & Co. to find a replacement.
“All of our thoughts and prayers are with DJ. Big-time loss for our team but we’ll try to find somebody who can fill that void,” said Alapag.
The team will instead search for the FIBA break. And so, they’re going all-Filipino later, which will be challenging, especially going up against a FiberXers side that’s snapped out of a four-game slide.
Converge did so by beating Terrafirma, 120-103, last Tuesday. The win was sparked by the arrival of seasoned reinforcement Cam Clark, who led the way with 22 points and five rebounds as he provided consistency from start to finish.
Now, he’ll try to lead his new team to its second win in a row against, coincidentally, the very first franchise he played for in the PBA in 2022.
NLEX holds the edge entering the rematch, having beaten the FiberXers, 119-107, in the first round — the fifth of six straight wins to start the conference.
With no import in the NLEX lineup, Converge is viewed as a massive -8.5 favorite, according to Casino Plus sportsbook. The over/under is set at 218.0.
