Gin Kings shoot for solo lead
REIGNING champion Barangay Ginebra San Miguel seeks for solo No. 1 spot while unbeaten teams Blackwater and San Miguel Beer ( SMB) clash for second straight victory in the Philippine Basketball Association Season 43 Governors’ Cup at the Araneta Coliseum.
The Gin Kings and the Batang Pier collide at 7 p. m. after the tussle between the Elite and the Beermen at 4: 30 p. m.
Ginebra and Magnolia are sharing the lead with identical 2-0 marks while Blackwater and SMB are in a two-way tie for third with the same 1-0.
The Gin Kings are coming off victories over Columbian Dyip (96-84) and Alaska (109-101). But expect Ginebra to go all out as Stanley Pringle and Sean Anthony are back in the lineup. Pringle was part of the national team that competed in the 18th Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia while Anthony, who sustained an injury, was given green light by the doctors to join the team. “With Stanley Pringle and Sean Anthony back in the fold, Northport is a completely different team than what we’ve seen so far this conference. With those guys, they are true contenders,” said Ginebra mentor Tim Cone.
Ginebra will be relying on import Justin Brownlee, who is averaging 39.5 points, 15.5
“It is our third game in six days, so energy will be a concern for us. We know we have a battle in our hands,” added Cone.
On the other hand, Blackwater coach Bong Ramos knew he is going to deal with a very talented scoring team when they face the Beermen. “They (San Miguel Beer) are too strong,” Ramos told The Manila Times. “You know in San Miguel Beer’s last game against Northern Luzon Expressway, there were four players who combined for 103 points.” Ramos is referring to rookie Christian Standhardinger’s 36 points, Alex Cabagnot’s 23 points, AZ Reid’s 30 points and Marcio Lassiter’s 14 points. They led the Beermen to a 125112 win over Northern Luzon Expressway last Saturday. “So we need to play defense to lessen their scoring output. Hopefully, our defensive schemes will be effective. We are hoping for a close game until the end,” added Ramos, whose team is coming from a 104- 98 win over TNT KaTropa, which they finally beat for the first time ever after four years since they entered the league.