PBA PHILIPPINE CUP SEMIS Magnolia, Rain or Shine start series Taiwanese leads Saso, Thai by 1
Game Today
(Smart Araneta Coliseum)
7 p.m. — Magnolia vs Rain or Shine
The sweat is hardly dry on the brows of the Magnolia Hotshots following their masterful dismantling of Barangay Ginebra San Miguel in the quarters, but more work beckons.
Magnolia swings back into action as it battles well-rested Rain or Shine for the early advantage in the start of
their best-of-seven PBA Philippine Cup semifinal series at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Hotshots, coming off a threegame quarterfinal series win over Ginebra that ended last Wednesday, look to draw first blood against the Elasto Painters in the 7 p.m. match.
Rain or Shine will see action for the first time since dispatching NorthPort, 91-85, five days earlier at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Hotshots coach Chito Victolero is confident that his players can withstand another difficult challenge after surviving 0-3 and 1-4 starts in the conference.
“We have a tough team coming up but I’m confident that my players will be up to the challenge given the situations they have dealt before,” said Victolero.
Paul Lee, following a 25-point performance, will face his former team again in a playoff scenario, this time for a shot at making the finals of the season-opening conference.
ROS star James Yap is also facing his ex-squad for the second time in the playoffs and will enter the series looking to build on his consistent showing this conference.
Rain or Shine holds the psychological edge after topping Magnolia, 75-74, last Feb. 13 at the Mall of Asia Arena.
The Elasto Painters won it after Yap scored a three-point play in the dying seconds.
Tzu-Yi Chang stole the thunder from fellow amateur Yuka Saso, unleashing a scorching frontside windup to shoot a sixunder 65 and wrest a one-stroke lead over the Fil-Japanese and Thai pro Arpichaya Yubol in the second round of the ICTSI Manila Golf Ladies Classic at the Manila Golf Club yesterday.
Unable to get going with shaky putting in a 72 start Wednesday, Chang finally put it all together, including her irons and short game, in another sweltering but windy day, birdying four of the last six holes at the front, highlighted by three straight from No. 6.
“Very good. My putting, irons and short game were in place,” said Chang, who used just 26 putts, seven less than what she did in the previous round, to move 18 holes away from snaring the crown with a 137 in the $100,000 event serving as the seventh leg of the seventh season of the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour.
“The course has lots of slopes and you have to be extra careful to avoid getting into trouble,” added the 17-year-old Junior World veteran after churning out a personal-best card on a par-71 layout. “I shot 66 twice in Taiwan but this one is like a 66 because the course is par-71.”