Games Today
(Smart Araneta Coliseum)
4:30 p.m. – Blackwater vs Mahindra
6:45 p.m. – Alaska vs Ginebra
Barangay Ginebra San Miguel shoots for its fifth straight win and a share of second place when it faces Alaska tonight in battle of hot and cold teams in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Unbeaten after losing its opening assignment to Phoenix last April 1, Ginebra is favored to continue its winning ways in the 6:45 p.m. encounter against an Aces squad that has lost two straight following a 4-0 start.
Ginebra is seeing action for the first time since a 107-89 rout of TNT KaTropa last April 23 caused by the PBA All-Star Week in Cagayan de Oro, Lucena and Cebu.
Rust may cause coach Tim Cone to have concern, but the American mentor would like nothing less than beating his old team before Ginebra takes another lengthy break, this time due to the country’s hosting of the SEABA Championship.
“I’ll try to figure out a way to stay sharp and do things that make sense over the next month,” said Cone as quoted by Spin.ph recently.
A victory would put Ginebra in a tie for second with San Miguel, which saw its five-game unbeaten start snapped with a 112-103 defeat to TNT last Friday.
Import Justin Brownlee has been the catalyst of Ginebra’s four-game winning run, averaging 24.6 points, 11 rebounds and 5.6 assists this conference, alongside veteran playmaker LA Tenorio with 16.6-point, 3.2-rebound, 4.2-assist numbers.
Ginebra, however, won’t be having big man Japeth Aguilar after he was selected to play for Gilas in the SEABA tournament which starts on Friday at the Big Dome.
Alaska, meanwhile, is looking at regaining its form after falling back-to-back games to Meralco and Phoenix.
Aces coach Alex Compton is banking on import Cory Jefferson to lead the squad with Calvin Abueva and Carl Bryan Cruz out because of Gilas duties.
Abueva was picked to play for the SEABA team while Cruz was loaned by Alaska as a practice player for Gilas in the said competition.
Meanwhile, former Ginebra and Alaska player Eric Menk will have his number retired at halftime of the said game. Menk won his only MVP award for Ginebra in 2005 before ending his PBA career with Alaska.
Mahindra and Blackwater face off in the 4:30 p.m. opener as they seek to revive their fading playoff hopes.