By JONAS TERRADO
Import Romeo Travis and Paul Lee aim to keep their strong plays today when Magnolia takes a crack for a share of the lead against winless Columbian Dyip in the PBA Governors’ Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Travis and Lee are expected to lead the Hotshots’ quest to claim their fifth win in six games in the 4:30 p.m. meeting with a Dyip side that will enter the contest having lost all six outings in the season-ending conference.
Rain or Shine will parade new import Terrence Watson as it looks to barge into the win column against a well-rested Alaska squad in the other game at 7 p.m.
The Elasto Painters have brought in Watson, who in last season’s Governors’ Cup played for the San Miguel Beermen, as a replacement for J’Nathan Bullock as they try to get out of a 0-2 slump in the tournament.
They hope to see a rusty Aces team that has not played a match since a loss to defending champion Barangay Ginebra San Miguel last Sept. 3. Alaska will be looking to forge a tie with idle Blackwater at 4-1.
A win will put Magnolia in a tie for first with Ginebra in the standings and its resurgence following a quarterfinal exit in the Commissioner’s Cup has been credited largely to the performance of Travis, who been a major presence for coach Chito Victolero.
Travis, a former high school teammate of LeBron James, is averaging 20.8 points, 16.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 3.0 steals and 1.4 blocks this conference.
Victolero is pleased that Travis is meeting team expectations after the Hotshots fielded four imports last conference.
The Hotshots have also gotten big productions from Lee, who after an eight-point showing in a loss to the Phoenix Fuel Masters last Sept. 23 have scored 22 points against his former team Rain or Shine last Wednesday followed by a 28-point heroic in Sunday’s 109-108 thriller against SMB.
In that game, Lee sealed his status as the PBA Press Corps Player of the Week by knocking down a baseline jumper that eventually became the game-winner for Magnolia.
