Games Today Ynares Arena
2p.m. – Arellano U vs Boracay Rum
4 p.m. – Derulo Accelero vs Wangs Basketball
Wangs Basketball tries to avoid a second straight loss when it faces Derulo Accelero on Thursday to hopefully stay in contention in the wild playoff race in the PBA D-League Aspirants’ Cup.
The Couriers are coming off a 59-75 loss against Jumbo Plastic last week but they are determined to rise from that downfall to stay within striking distance of the leaders.
Only six teams from the field of 14 will advance to the playoff round after eliminations. The top two seeds earn an outright semifinal berths while the third and fourth ranked teams will have a twice-to-beat advantage against their respective rivals in the quarterfinals.
“From where we are right now it looks tough (making the playoffs). But we’re not thinking about it anyway. Our mindset at the moment is to rebound and get back on track. Hopefully our determination would lead us to another W,” said Wang Basketball coach Pablo Lucas.
Lucas also knows well their scheduled 4 p.m. encounter with the Oilers at the Ynares Arena won’t be a walk in park.
Derulo Accelero snapped a six game losing spell with an 82-75 victory over skidding Arellano University last week and hope to capitalize on the momentum.
“Our patience finally paid off. Hopefully we could build on this. Wangs (Basketball) is playing well. They are big and they have a lot of good shooters. Discipline and defense will be the key for us,” said Derulo Accelero coach Paolo Mendoza.
Two other struggling teams – Boracay Rum and Arellano University – play each other in the day’s other game at 2 o’clock.
Apparently, chemistry is still an issue for the Waves (2-5), who have lost their last three. But their chances to get back on the winning track look good.
The Chiefs (1-5) are also on a three-game losing streak and their stats are even worse. They are the worst scoring team in the league averaging just 68.50 per game and ranked 13th on defense with 83.50 points allowed per game.