Ray Parks Jr. tries to help co-leader TNT KaTropa secure a twice-to-beat advantage as he debuts for his new team against Barangay Ginebra San Miguel in the PBA Governors’ Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Attention in the 7 p.m. match will mostly center on Parks, who was traded from the Blackwater Elite in exchange for Don Trollano, Tony Semerad and a 2021 first round draft pick.
TNT enters the match hoping to get things back on winning track after its 7-0 start ended two weeks ago with a 116-103 loss to fellow pacesetter NLEX at the same venue.
The KaTropa also play for the first time since Jayson Castro was sidelined for at least a month due to an ankle injury sustained against the Road Warriors.
Parks will likely to fill the void left by Castro as he will aim to replicate his 23-game average with Blackwater dating back to his PBA debut in the Commissioner’s Cup of 21.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.3 steals.
He’ll also look to exact revenge on Ginebra after absorbing a 101-93 loss in his final appearance with Blackwater last Oct. 30 at the Cuneta Astrodome.
Ginebra, meanwhile, needs a victory in order to stay in the race for the twice-to-beat incentive given to the top four teams after the eliminations.
Sunday’s 101-77 defeat at the hands of Meralco last Sunday dropped Ginebra’s record to 5-3 while San Miguel climbed to solo fourth with Wednesday’s 99-96 overtime win over Blackwater.
Meralco hopes to tighten its grip on the top spot against Columbian in the opener set at 4:30 p.m.
The Bolts are determined to ride on the momentum of their lopsided victories over the Beermen and Ginebra and improve their third-best 6-2 mark against the Dyip.
Columbian enters the game in solo seventh position at 4-5, needing a win to enhance its chances of gaining a quarters berth.
SMB HAS NEW IMPORT
San Miguel Beer is tapping the services of former NBA player John Holland for Saturday’s PBA Governors’ Cup game against Rain or Shine in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu
Team manager Gee Abanilla confirmed Thursday afternoon that Holland will serve as a replacement for Dez Wells, who missed the Beermen’s 99-96 overtime win over the Blackwater Elite due to an injured left ankle.
Wells sustained the injury last Oct. 27 when SMB lost 125-99 to Meralco.
Holland played one game for the Boston Celtics in the 2016 NBA Playoffs before suiting up for 25 regular season games for the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2017 to 2018.
He also had stints with the Canton Charge and Austin Spurs of the NBA G-League.
The 31-year-old Holland will be the latest import with NBA experience to suit up in the season-ending conference, joining NLEX’s Manny Harris, TNT KaTropa’s KJ McDaniels and Phoenix Pulse’s Alonzo Gee.
Wells averaged 37.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 2.0 steals in eight games with the Beermen. (JONAS TERRADO)
