Batangas and Tanduay are expected to unleash their full arsenal as they meet in a battle for playoff positioning today in the PBA D-League Foundation Cup at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City.
Tipoff is set at 3 p.m. with the winner climbing to solo third while keeping an inside track at securing a twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals.
Both teams, sharing third and fourth spots in the standings, are coming off contrasting results, with Batangas falling 70-66 to Cignal and Tanduay rolling to a 141-65 thrashing of Zark’s Burgers earlier this week.
Tanduay sent a strong message to Zark’s Monday by setting a pair of records for the highest points scored and the biggest winning margin in a D-League game.
Rhum Masters coach Lawrence Chongson is expected to lean on Jerwin Gaco, Lester Alvarez and Paul Varilla to keep their winning form against Batangas.
Batangas mentor Eric Gonzales has transformed a team filled with unheralded players into a playoff contender, and a victory over Tanduay would boost their bid to gain a better seeding in the playoffs.
Meanwhile, Racal Motors shoots for its second straight win when it plays Marinerong Pilipino in the second game at 5 p.m.
Racal, snapped a three-game skid Monday with a 105-60 rout of Gamboa Coffee to improve to 3-3, and another victory would put the squad in a tie for sixth with idle Centro Escolar University.
