Eyes will surely be on Jordan Murphy when Barangay Ginebra San Miguel figures in another rivalry affair with Rain or Shine as PBA Season 50 Governors’ Cup action continues later tonight at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
Game time is set at 7:30 PM, with fans and observers alike curious to see if the new guy would fit in just fine with a Gin Kings team hoping to address its import woes as Justin Brownlee continues to recover from his leg injuries.
The crowd darlings struggled with Riley Grigsby during their first six games of the conference, winning just twice. They lost two straight prior to the break: a 73-88 beatdown at the hands of Magnolia, then an 88-97 decision to Meralco.
And right in his first game, Murphy will be put to the test. He will be going up against the run-and-gun Elasto Painters, whom Ginebra will be facing for the second time since their heated Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup semis duel.
Coach Yeng Guiao & Co. would want to spoil the University of Minnesota product’s debut, as they aim to repeat to keep their hold on the top spot. They’re currently leading Group A with a 4-2 record, surging to the sweet position after starting the tourney with losses to Blackwater and the Bolts.
One of their wins in this ongoing streak was against the Barangay, a convincing 110-99 victory last July 26 at the SMART Araneta Coliseum to reward themselves with some payback after losing in their last semis clash.
The Barangay, on the other hand, are dead last in the pool (2-4), and will have to ace their four remaining games — including tonight — to stay alive.
The Elasto Painters entered the matchup as a slight favorite, holding a -2.0 point spread over Ginebra. The over/under is set at 202.0.
Opening the double-header offering at 5:15 PM, meanwhile, is another meeting between the Hotshots and the Bossing, with the former keen on creating separation with Phoenix Super LPG in the Group A standings.
As it stands, both teams share the no. 2 spot behind Rain or Shine with identical 4-3 records, with Coach LA Tenorio steering his men to that high of a spot by picking up wins against Ginebra, Meralco, and the Fuel Masters.
Now riding a three-game winning streak, Magnolia is hoping to keep the momentum going to continue this turnaround from a 1-3 start. But that won’t be easy, as the Hotshots are set to face a team that knows how to beat them.
These two met last July 17 in the same venue, with Blackwater coming out on top, 89-81, thanks to a strong closeout led by Kentrell Barkley.
Still, the Hotshots are a -7.5 favorite, according to Casino Plus sportsbook with the over/under set at 195.5.
