Rain or Shine faces skidding Northport; Hotshots vs Bossing
THE Rain or Shine Elasto Painters will be protecting a winning streak they intend to extend to five games against a Northport side that they expect to come out strong after losing consecutive games.
“We’re in a dangerous situation against Northport,” said Rain or Shine’s leading scorer Santi Santillan on Tuesday. “They lost two straight and they are itching to bounce back.”
The 6-foot-4 multi-position player from Lapu-lapu City told Businessmirror on the Batang Pier couldn’t be taken lightly having won four of their seven games so far in the Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup.
“We will be facing a young and talented team that plays fast-paced basketball,” said Santillan, who’s been shooting 20 points and grabbing nine rebounds this conference for Rain or Shine, which is in the middle of the pack with its 4-4 won-lost record.
“We have to limit their superstar, Arvin Tolentino, to get our winning streak alive,” he added.
Tolentino’s averaging 21.8 points, 7.1 rebounds and 4.1 assist in seven games for Northport, which lost two straight to Magnolia, 97-104, and Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, 8895.g, last week although the Batang Pier still remain in playoff contention with 4-3 win-loss slate at fifth spot.
The Rain or Shine-batang Pier game is set at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium with Magnolia also hoping to sustain its run when it plays skidding Blackwater squad at 7:30 p.m.
The Hotshots won two in a row to go into playoff contention with a 3-2 record while the Bossing, after a 3-0 start, suffered four straight losses for a 3-4 record.