Magnolia will look to build off its massive Manila Clasico win when the traditional contenders figure in a group phase rematch against an embattled Meralco in the PBA Season 50 Governors’ Cup later tonight at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
Game time is set at 7:30 p.m., with the Hotshots coming in confident after downing Ginebra convincingly the last time out to notch just their second win of the conference, hoping, of course, that momentum would finally go their way.
From a 0-2 start, Coach LA Tenorio’s wards have won twice in their last three outings, with their other win at the expense of the Bolts last July 24.
It’s quite a quick encore between the budding rivals, but Magnolia has the better form as compared to the Bolts, who are in the midst of a three-game slide.
But their most recent defeat, an 85-83 decision against Rain or Shine, proved to be more personal as the two teams traded statements after Elasto Painters head coach Yeng Guiao labelled Cliff Hodge as the ‘dirtiest player’ in the PBA.
It came after the veteran big man’s knee collided with Adrian Nocum’s thigh in a contact that caused anxious moments at the SMART Araneta Coliseum, as they both took a while to get back on their feet before going to the bench.
They eventually finished the game—the rising star guard was even key in their strong closeout with his assists—but the drama didn’t stop at the final buzzer as the fiery bench tactician once again expressed his frustration with Hodge.
And so, it would be interesting to see if ever that affected Meralco’s psyche as a whole, especially now that it is also at 2-4 in Group B—its worst six-game start in a conference since going 1-5 during the 2023-23 Commissioner’s Cup.
Magnolia enters the matchup as a -4.0 favorite, according to Casino Plus sportsbook, while the over/under is set at 190.0.
Bets are placed here: https://www.casinoplus.com.ph/home/inGame?name=basketball&title=SportBet.
(C) PBA Images
Meanwhile, NLEX will try to stretch its unbeaten streak to seven when it takes on Terrafirma in the double-header opener, scheduled at 5:15 p.m.
Coach Jimmy Alapag and his charges are fresh off an 88-83 victory against no less than the defending champions in TNT last Tuesday in a meeting filled with nostalgia as the 2011 PBA MVP met his former team for the first time.
Later, they’d face a side that had just absorbed yet another loss: a 96-92 heartbreaker against guest team Macau on July 29, as the Dyip failed to follow up on their 111-106 stunner of the Tropang 5G in the game prior.
Terrafirma fell to 2-4 in Group A after that loss, but the Road Warriors would surely not want to feel too confident of their chances in the rematch.
It could be recalled that they nearly got chopped by the upset axe in their first-round matchup last July 12. NLEX already held a supposedly comfortable 90-67 lead entering the fourth quarter, but their foes put together a furious rally.
But they were lucky enough to survive as Juami Tiongson and Justin Strings struggled to find a good look at the basket, and the Road Warriors would go on to take the 101-100 decision as they averted a meltdown from taking place.
Terrafirma is a whopping +11.5 underdog, according to Casino Plus sportsbook. The over/under is pegged at 228.5.
