Gin Kings, Batang Pier shoot for first win
WINLESS in their initial forays in the mid-season Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Commissioner’s Cup, the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings and GlobalPort Batang Pier look to finally barge into the win column, taking on one another in the main game today at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Set for 7 p.m., the Kings (0-1) try to bounce back from their loss in their tournament debut last weekend while the Batang Pier (0-2) are angling to wiggle out of their early stupor.
Debuted late in the Commissioner’s Cup after competing in the finals of the previous PBA tournament, Barangay Ginebra had a hard time sustaining its game against the Phoenix Petroleum Fuel Masters in a road game in Davao City last Saturday, bowing, 94-91.
Despite getting balanced contributions from different sources, the Kings were not able to match rookie Matthew Wright and the rest of the Fuel Masters’ burst down the stretch, sending them to the early tournament defeat.
Japeth Aguilar and Joe Devance were the leading scorers for Barangay Ginebra in the losing cause with 15 points each while guard LA Tenorio had 13 points.
Returning Kings import Justin Brownlee, meanwhile, only had 12 points, to go along with four rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocks.
STRUGGLING
GlobalPort, for its part, has struggled off the starting block, not just losing its first two games — against the Alaska Aces and Star Hotshots in that order — but going down big as well to an average deficit of 27 points.
Import Sean Williams has been steady for the Batang Pier, norming 19 points, 16.5 rebounds and three blocks in his first two games.
Guard Stanley Pringle leads the team in scoring with 23 points per game on top of 7.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists.
All- Star and Gilas Pilipinas pool member Terrence Romeo played his first game for the team in the Commissioner’s Cup last time around after missing their opening match, tallying 13 points, eight assists and seven rebounds.
He said he looks forward to regaining his scoring touch, following a 28% (5-of-18) shooting on the field, as the tournament progresses.
Preceding the Barangay Ginebra- GlobalPort match at 4: 15 p. m. is the battle between undefeated Star ( 3- 0) and the Mahindra Floodbuster (1-3).
Star will once again be bannered by import Tony Mitchell ( 23 ppg, 16 rpg, 2.3 apg, 2.3 bpg and 1 spg) while Mahindra is parading new reinforcement Keith Wright in place of original choice and returning import James White.
Meanwhile, Sonny Thoss of Alaska was named PBA Player of the Week for the period of March 26-April 1.
Defying his age of 35, Mr. Thoss has been showing renewed form on both ends of the court in the ongoing conference, helping his team to a still- unblemished record of 4-0.
“I just tried to give whatever I can to the team,” said the veteran big man.
In winning the weekly PBA plum, Mr. Thoss beat out teammate Calvin Abueva, TNT rookie Roger Pogoy, Star freshman guard Jio Jalalon and wingman Allen Maliksi, San Miguel’s June Mar Fajardo and Alex Cabagnot, and Meralco’s Baser Amer. —