RARE DOUBLEHEADER League brings Saturday action to Caloocan and Candon
Games Saturday (Caloocan Sports Complex) 3 p.m. – Rain or Shine vs Terrafirma (Candon City Arena) 6:15 p.m. – NLEX vs TNT
For the first time in league history, the PBA doubleheader in the 2024 Philippine Cup is set to be played in two different venues on Saturday, April 13.
The opening game at 3:00 p.m. pits streaking Rain or Shine against the surprising Terrafirma at the Caloocan Sports Complex before the league goes all the way up north in Candon City, Ilocos Sur where NLEX tries to keep its winning run alive against TNT at 6:15 p.m.
The Road Warriors are aiming to solidify their spot in the Top 2 when they gun for a fifth straight win and join league leading San Miguel Beermen as the hottest team so far in the all-filipino conference.
NLEX is currently at the second spot with a 5-1 record, half a game behind the still undefeated SMB at 5-0.
The Road Warrior’s meteoric rise is largely behind the superb play of star guard Robert Bolick who has been leading the league in scoring and assist departments after averaging 29.5 points and 7.2 assists per contest through six games.
It is not only a one-man show for Bolick, however, as he also gets solid contributions from a potent supporting cast led by Anthony Semerad who played a crucial role in NLEX’S 87-74 victory over last conference’s runnerup Magnolia last time out.
Standing between the Road Warriors and a five-game winning streak, however, are the Tropang Giga who are eager to finally build some sort of momentum after a rollercoaster start to the conference.
TNT is coming off a close 92-90 win over Meralco with main man Calvin Oftana and veteran guard Jayson Castro leading the charge. Sitting at a 3-3 record, the Tropang Giga is aiming for a victory as they hope to move up from the crowded middle pack of the standings.
Over in Caloocan, the Elasto Painters also aim to sustain their rise from the cellar when they gun for their fourth straight win against the Dyip.
Santi Santillan, who has been playing well ROS, is expected to once again join hands with veteran big man Beau Belga in showing the way for the team that once started the conference on a four-game losing streak.