Road Warriors indeed
NLEX fans playoff hopes with timely road win over TNT KaTropa; San Miguel Beer tangles with well-rested Barangay Ginebra today
ANGELES CITY— NLEXsnapped out of a five-game skid in a huge way last night as the Road Warriors fanned their flickering playoff hopes in the PBA Philippine Cup with a 110-98 road win over TNT KaTropa in a Petron Saturday Special game at Angeles University Foundation gym here.
Carlo Lastimosa scattered 22 points and three other men in coach Yeng Guiao’s starting unit finished with 11 or better as NLEX also halted the Texters’ two-game winning run and rose to 2-5, still out of the playoff picture but avoiding early elimination with four games left.
While Guiao’s first five clicked, the same cannot be said of Nash Racela’s starting unit as it combined for just 26 points with Jason Castro coming off the bench to shoot 17 and lead all TNT shooters.
The Texters were a woeful 36-of-91 from the field and slid to 4-3, now more than two games behind league-leading and defending champion San Miguel Beer.
The Beermen return to action after barely two days’ rest and preparation, clashing with a Barangay Ginebra side that seeks to win back-to-back games for the first time this season.
Coach Leo Austria’s only fear coming into the 6:45 p.m. contest at Smart Araneta Coliseum is the little time they had in getting ready for the crowddarling Gin Kings as the Beermen shoot for the first of two more wins they need to gain a top two berth.
“That’s the magic number, eight wins,” Austria told the Inquirer as his 6-1 Beermen shoot for a fourth straight victory.
Rain or Shine battles Phoenix Petroleum at 4:30 p.m.
A top two berth would mean needing just one win against a lower-ranked team to advance to the Final Four.
“It’s like having a 1-0 lead in a best-of-three [series],” he said.
Ginebra’s Tim Cone had practically the whole of the holidays to prepare against the Beermen and reigning threetime MVP June Mar Fajardo, describing the talented 6-foot-10 center as a “conundrum” for opponents.