Games Today
(Smart Araneta Coliseum)
4:15 p.m. – NLEX vs GlobalPort
7 p.m. – Rain or Shine vs Phoenix
Rain or Shine seeks to end a two-game losing skid while NLEX and GlobalPort eye their first win as the PBA Commissioner’s Cup holds its final playdate before the Holy Week break today at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Elasto Painters battle the inconsistent Phoenix Fuel Masters in the main game at 7 p.m. hoping to get back on track after a 3-0 start was followed by back-to-back losses.
NLEX and GlobalPort, on the other hand, clash in the opener at 4:15 p.m. The Road Warriors’ resolve will be tested after blowing a 29-point third quarter lead in the 126-121 overtime loss to the TNT KaTropa while the Batang Pier came close to a first victory but fell 118-113 to the Blackwater Elite a day later.
Rain or Shine’s latest defeat came last April 2 when it fell 105-102 to Alaska at the same venue. Elasto Painters import Sean Taggart is hoping that the team would display more effort this time.
“I just feel like any other team, there’s always concern,” said Taggart. “You got to go in there and we going to have to start going to work. I mean we’ve been working, but now, two losses in a row, we need to focus and keep our eyes on the prize.
“We got to take it step by step, game by game, and just don’t think that everything’s going to be given. We got to go out there, we got to take it,” added Taggart.
RoS faces a Phoenix team that holds a 2-3 record after being pummeled 110-88 by the Philippine Cup champion San Miguel Beermen last Friday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
The Fuel Masters couldn’t seem to find a way to solve their constant dilemma of losing by wide margins.
Meanwhile, only one team will be left winless after the NLEX-GlobalPort match.
NLEX’s last two games has been heartbreaking. The Road Warriors were beaten by the Star Hotshots on a buzzer-beater by rookie Jio Jalalon, before squandering that huge lead against the KaTropa in dropping their fifth in a row.
“Its still part of the struggle, we probably played our best first half and then our worst second half so it’s disappointing but I guess we can look at the good side again,” said NLEX coach Yeng Guiao.
“If you want to see the positive in this thing, we were able to 29-point lead, but it’s the lack of maturity, lack of character and probably the ability to close out games so we’ve been struggling with that.”