By REYNALD MAGALLON
League leaders San Miguel Beer and TNT will be gunning for outright quarterfinals slots against separate foes in the 2023 PBA Governors’ Cup at the Mall of Asia Arena on Wednesday, Feb. 15.
The Tropang Giga are bent on keeping their hot streak going, even parading a new import despite the splendid start against the Blackwater Bossing in the first offering at 3 p.m. while the Beermen are looking to get back on track when they tackle the NorthPort Batang Pier in the second game at 5:45 p.m.
Both sitting atop the standings along with Converge with identical 5-1 records, TNT and SMB hope to pick up their sixth wins which would formalize their entry to the playoffs of the season-ending conference.
The Tropang Giga, for one, are not leaving anything to chance, making a gambit of relegating high-scoring import Jalen Hudson to the reserve list in favor of former NBA player Rondae Hollis-Jefferson.
Coach Jojo Lastimosa said that the need for an import who could play the power forward spot was what prompted TNT to tap Hollis-Jefferson even with Hudson playing superb basketball averaging 33.83 points, 9.33 rebounds and 4.7 assists.
With the former Brooklyn Nets forward, however, guys like Calvin Oftana and Glenn Khobuntin can slide to their natural playing position at the small forwards spot.
Welcoming Hollis-Jefferson to the PBA, however, is another former NBA veteran in Troy Williams who is still looking for his first win in the league since joining the Bossing and taking the place of first choice Shawn Glover.
Meanwhile, the Beermen, who had the chance to formally punch their ticket to the playoffs last time out but were foiled by the FiberXers, try again against a struggling Batang Pier side.
June Mar Fajardo should be eager to bounce back after being reduced as spectator in the final three minutes of SMB’s 107-103 loss to Converge after fouling out with only seven points and 10 rebounds to show.
SMB gunners also cooled down last time out shooting a miserable 4-of-27 clip from beyond the arc – something that guys like Marcio Lassiter, Jericho Cruz, and Simon Enciso would want to address against NorthPort.
On the other hand, Robert Bolick is expected to lead the team anew especially after a scintillating return where he dropped 30 points in the 115-100 loss to Ginebra. Import Kevin Murphy should also be fired up facing up against his former team although he needs to be more efficient on the floor after needing 41 shots just to reach 33 points in his debut.
