IT will be the clash of league leaders and unbeaten teams as the action continues to heat up during the resumption of the 2016 Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup.
Solo leadership will be on the line when the sizzling San Miguel Beermen and Mahindra Enforcers, both part of a three-way tie for first with similar 2-0 records, take separate paths when they tussle at 4:15 p.m. to open action at the Smart Araneta Coliseum today.
Following that is an equally entertaining face off between Barangay Ginebra and NLEX Road Warriors, which both tote identical 1-1 cards, at 7 p.m. with both teams aiming to bounce back after suffering heartbreaking defeats in their last assignments.
The Beermen and the Enforcers are currently tied with unbeaten Talk ‘N Text (2-0) at the top.
While defending champion San Miguel is expected by many to perform well and be one of the top teams despite its injuries, no one saw Mahindra’s blazing start coming.
After this encounter, only one of them will remain unscathed and move up to solo first place while the other will slip down the ladder.
The Enforcers have solidified their stand as one of the most dangerous teams in the league after impressive victories over the Star Hotshots in their opening game and against GlobalPort Batang Pier, 108-98, last week. Their import James White and usual suspects—LA Revilla, Aldrech Ramos and Nino Canaleta—continue to submit stellar games.
“We’re playing with great heart right now,” said Mahindra’s rookie deputy coach Chris Gavina. “We still need to stay humble, stay hungry and stay consistent at what we do. We’re always prepared to compete.”
Even with a depleted line-up, as they are still missing the services of some of their key players Arwind Santos, Gabby Espinas, Chris Lutz and Yancy De Ocampo, the Beermen are showing their depth and championship pedigree. They were still able to produce a solid start with import Arizona Reid, June Mar Fajardo, Marcio Lassiter and Alex Cabagnot joining hands to lead the team.
“We almost lost our last game but thankfully, we’re still unbeaten. Hopefully we can keep winning,” said San Miguel coach Leo Austria of his team’s current state.
In dramatic fashion last Friday, San Miguel took a nail-biting 94-93 squeaker over NLEX after Lassiter knocked down the game-winning triple at the buzzer.
After both having rousing starts, the Gin Kings and the Road Warriors both suffered tough setbacks in their previous outings.
NLEX had that tough loss to swallow against the Beermen while Ginebra fought hard but fell short in overtime against Alaska, 109-100, last Sunday.
It is vital for both teams to move up to two wins and avoid falling at the bottom half of the standings.
Games Today
(Smart Araneta Coliseum)
4:15 p.m. – Mahindra
vs. San Miguel
7 p.m. – Barangay Ginebra
vs. NLEX
