Games today:
(Smart Araneta Coliseum)
4 p.m. — NLEX vs Blackwater
8 p.m. — Meralco vs Ginebra
Barangay Ginebra San Miguel and Meralco — two bitter rivals who figured in four title showdowns — rekindle their rivalry in a Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup battle with so much at stake today at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Action is set at 8 p.m. following the 4 p.m. encounter between Blackwater and NLEX in the first game of this explosive double-header.
Although the rivalry favored the Kings in which they won all four titles with prolific import Justin Brownlee at the helm, things are now different as the Bolts are now sitting at the third spot of the team standings with a 6-1 win-loss club, just a shade below leaders Magnolia and Phoenix, who sport 8-1 and 7-1 cards, respectively.
What was even more impressive was the fact that Meralco suffered a major blow when its import Suleiman Braimoh crashed with a torn Achilles in their 97-94 win over NLEX two weeks ago.
With Braimoh undergoing surgery, the Bolts had no choice but to tap their East Asia Super League import in Zach Lofton as temporary replacement.
Doubts were raised on the ability of Lofton to deliver as he is coming in as the shortest import at 6-foot-5 in this season-opening conference that has a maximum height limit of 6-foot-9.
But Lofton compensated his lack of ceiling with a big fighting heart as he erupted for 54 points in their 125-99 win over NorthPort and 30 points in their 105-99 triumph over Converge to post an impressive scoring average of 42 points per game.
Now, the high-scoring Lofton gets a chance to test his mettle against a Ginebra side that will parade an import that knows the Meralco system like the back of his hand and a former Most Valuable Player who missed the past few games due to knee injury.
Tony Bishop, the Panamanian journeyman who suited up for Meralco in a memorable Governors’ Cup finals showdown with Ginebra two years ago, had already crossed the enemy line and is now wreaking havoc for the Kings.
His presence against his former team will be a major boost as the Kings are looking to recover from back to back setbacks — a 77-82 loss to Phoenix Super LPG on 9 December and an 82-95 loss to San Miguel Beer on 15 December — in a bid to clinch a victory that will boost their chances for one of the four twice-to-beat incentives in the quarterfinals.
Ginebra may still be at the middle of the pack with a 4-3 record, but its coach, Tim Cone, isn’t happy.
“Bad luck. Bad coaching,” Cone said when asked for comment about their past two matches.
But the spark the Kings have been waiting for may be on its way as Thompson is said to be suiting up for the first time since hurting his knee in their 90-87 victory over Blackwater on 26 November.
Cone said Thompson will be a game-time decision but he is already showing signs of recovery.
“He’ll be a game-time decision, but I would say he’s likely to play,” Cone said, referring to the league MVP two years ago who got hurt after big man Bradwyn Guinto landed on his knee area.
Although he was able to finish the game, he sat out the Kings’ next three matches, leading to a decline in their performance, especially against the Fuel Masters and the Beermen.
