Kings, Painters face off in QF
Games today (Cuneta Astrodome) 3 p.m. – Alaska vs Tropang TNT 5:15 p.m. – Ginebra vs Rain or Shine
With hardly a rest from the elimination round, title holder Tropang TNT, crowd darling Barangay Ginebra and perennial contenders Alaska Milk and Rain or Shine begin their playoff grinds in the Oppo PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Cuneta Astrodome tonight.
The Texters and the Aces clash at 3 p.m. then the Gin Kings and the Elasto Painters face off at 5:15 p.m. in the opener of their respective best-ofthree quarterfinal series.
All middle-of-the-pack finishers in the elims, the four teams figure in playoff battles considered too close and tough to call.
“With only a day to prepare, it’s a players’ game. We’ll see,” said TNT coach Jong Uichico of their duel with the Alaska Milk Aces.
“TNT is one of the best-coached and most talented teams. Their import is an excellent player and he is a team player, and they have so many different weapons and so much versatility. It will be a very tough series for us, especially with a rested Jason Castro coming back full strength,” said Alaska coach Alex Compton.
Both teams will not be lacking in motivation. The Texters are defending the crown they won over the Elasto Painters last year while the Aces are seeking redemption from their nightmarish downfall in the recent Philippine Cup finals. The Ginebra-ROS matchup is as exciting. The Kings are in their strongest run under coach Tim Cone while the Elasto Painters are as dangerous as they have always been under coach Yeng Guiao.
“Coach Yeng is always an incredible challenge. He is such a fierce competitor and that rubs off on his players. They are a tough matchup for us because they play at such a heightened pace. We’ll need to keep our discipline and make sure we play our game, not theirs,” said Cone.
Guiao is excited about their prospect with their new import Pierre Henderson-Niles.
“The potential is there. His upside is good. He’s a solid player. I like his post presence. He’s quick for his size. He’s deceptive as you might think he’s slow, but he’s not,” said Guiao of their new recruit, teammate of Rob Dozier and Shawn Taggart with the Memphis Tigers in US college ball.