NLEX, Magnolia eye win-once edge against ROS, TNT – BusinessWorld Online
Games on Wednesday
(PhilSports Arena)
5 p.m. – NLEX vs Rain or Shine
7:30 p.m. – Magnolia vs TNT
*NLEX and Magnolia with twice-to-beat advantage
THEY’VE worked hard for their twice-to-beat advantage-holding positions in the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup playoffs. And naturally, second-seeded NLEX and No. 3 Magnolia are in no mood to give their respective quarterfinal opponents the opening to strike and potentially lay it all to waste in the end.
The Road Warriors are hunting for only their third semifinal appearance overall and first since the Season 46 Governors’ Cup and they can achieve this if they cash in on their win-once edge against No. 7 Rain or Shine (ROS) today at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
Title-less since the 2018, the Hotshots continue their quest and look to take the fast lane to the Final Four with a quick, grand slam-ending disposal of No. 6 TNT.
Both NLEX and Magnolia prefer to treat the quarters opener as a do-or-die, knowing how capable and experienced their respective rivals are.
“They may be No. 6 but they’re capable of winning the title,” Hotshots coach Chito Victolero said of the Tropang 5G.
Magnolia engages with TNT barely five days after their faceoff in the eliminations closeout, which the Hotshots won, 88-83, en route to the playoffs incentive.
The Tropang 5G are expected to go all out with their grand slam bid at risk.
For NLEX mentor Jong Uichico, his charges’ relative greenness versus ROS’ post-season experience is a bit of a concern.
“We are new to this situation. We’ve always been either looking up at the standings or not even given the chance to look at the standings,” he said.
“But it is a good situation. We’ll just try to do the best we can with this opportunity that was given to us. Hopefully, we’ll get over the hump. We’ll just try to play the way we have been playing and just hope, work for the best.” — Olmin Leyba
