Bleeding Kings seek playoff spot
Games today: (Ninoy Aquino Stadium) 5 p.m. — Meralco vs Converge 7:30 p.m. — Ginebra vs Phoenix
Absorbing a 49-point beatdown at the hands of San Miguel Beer is a serious matter for head coach Tim Cone and the rest of Barangay Ginebra San Miguel.
The franchise has not seen such atrocity in its storied history and a humiliating stain on Cone’s reputation.
It will be a test of character for the Kings to make a quick turnaround from their horrendous experience as they take another crack at securing a playoffs seat against barely surviving Phoenix in Group B of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Governors’ Cup today at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
Ginebra seeks to erase the bitter aftertaste of its 82-131 thrashing at the hands of the Beermen last Sunday in a game that saw San Miguel sniper Marcio Lassiter become the league’s all-time leader in triples made in the 7:30 clash.
Their most lopsided defeat has pushed them to third spot with a 5-3 win-loss record.
‘We got over the hump and we will work hard in our next games.’
But while Ginebra already has a foot inside the quarterfinals, the Fuel Masters are fighting for survival in an already bleak bid to advance into the next round.
Phoenix ended a seven-game losing slump after finally barging into the win column at the expense of Blackwater, 119114, last Sunday.
“We got over the hump and we will work hard in our next games. As long as we have games to be played, we’ll continue to play our best (and hope to reach the playoffs),” Fuel Masters head coach Jamike Jarin said.
But even a sweep of its last two games may not be enough for Phoenix to advance as another win by NLEX or Blackwater will mean elimination.
Reinforcement Brandone Francis, RR Garcia, Jason Perkins, Kai Ballungay and Ricci Rivero banner the Fuel Masters’ mission to exact revenge on first round tormentor Kings led by Justin Brownlee, Japeth Aguilar, RJ Abarrientos and Scottie Thompson.
Meanwhile, Meralco is out to bolster its chances of taking the top seed in the next round when it meets Converge in their 5 p.m. battle.