Games on Friday (Ninoy Aquino Stadium)
5 p.m. – Terrafirma vs Magnolia
7:30 p.m. – NLEX vs Meralco
MAGNOLIA, Terrafirma, NLEX and Meralco seek to turn their seasons around as all four feature in Friday’s PBA Commissioner’s Cup double-header at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
The four are intent on escaping the loss column and pumping life into their respective campaigns.
The Hotshots, the runners-up last season who have only two wins in seven starts in the ongoing tournament, seek to start executing their turnaround plan in the 5 p.m. opener against the winless Dyip (0-8).
Reeling from a 99-101 heartbreaker to TNT Tuesday, Meralco (4-3) looks to regain traction against an NLEX side (3-4) that’s out to arrest a three-game slide in the 7:30 p.m. main event.
“Backs against the wall na kami. We have five remaining games so we cannot afford to lose any of them,” said Magnolia coach Chito Victolero.
“Ang pinag-uusapan namin dito, if we can win all of those, much better. Pero ang goal muna namin is to take them one game at a time starting with that one on Friday,” he added.
With the Dyip yet to hit their stride, this game could well be the Hotshots’ best chance to pick up an important W and spark their intended rise.
“Positive naman mga players, although ayun nga, masakit ‘yung mga talo namin,” said Mr. Victolero, whose team still feels the pain especially from that major meltdown from 22 points up that led to a 92-95 Christmas Day loss to Barangay Ginebra.
“Our destiny is still in our hands. Sabi ko nga sa kanila, try to dig deep and grind it out in our next games and let’s see.”
The main tussle, meanwhile, pits a squad weary from playing its third game in six days — the Bolts — and a quintet that had the luxury of recharging over the last three weeks — the Road Warriors. — Olmin Leyba
