TNT and Magnolia will look to keep their winning ways as the Honda PBA Philippine Cup semifinals resume action on Wednesday at the DHVSU Gym in Bacolor.
Both the Tropang Giga and the Hotshots gained a headstart in their respective series last Sunday, and are definitely aiming to conquer their foes once more to move just a couple of victories away from the championship round.
The flagship MVP Group franchise opens the double-header affair with another meeting versus long-time rivals San Miguel Beer at 3:00 p.m.
Morale is sky-high for the Texters with their 89-88 Game One win, although they remain wary of their foes’ capabilities that was in full display last time as SMB came back from 12 down and nearly stole their thunder in the endgame.
Fortunately for TNT, Roger Pogoy made the biggest stop as he prevented Marcio Lassiter from making the potential game-winner. And such a tight finish could be expected yet again with the Beermen looking to even the series.
Photo by PBA Images
The Hotshots, on the other hand, plan to go up 2-0 against Meralco at 6:00 p.m. in what could be another emotionally-charged affair.
Their series opener was marred by several altercations — from Cliff Hodge and Jackson Corpuz; to coach Chito Victolero’s spat with Raymond Almazan; and to Allein Maliksi talking to someone over at Magnolia at game’s end.
But then, the perennial all-Filipino contenders managed to come out on top, 88-79, with a foul-plagued Calvin Abueva leading the comeback.
Meanwhile, Games Three and Four of both series are set on Friday and Sunday, respectively.
