Games today:
(Mall of Asia Arena)
4:30 p.m. — Rain or Shine vs Blackwater
6:45 p.m. — Magnolia vs Ginebra
Unbeaten Barangay Ginebra tries to keep its good run but faces a livewire foe in sister squad Magnolia in a Manila Clasico encounter of a Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup double-header today at the Mall of Asia Arena.
The two most popular teams take center stage and renew their awaited rivalry starting 6:45 p.m. right after the match between winless Rain or Shine, which will parade a new import in Greg Smith, in its 4:30 p.m. clash with similarly struggling team Blackwater.
Smith is not the same guy who played for Blackwater a few years ago, but the new reinforcement who will take over the spot of Michael Qualls, was measured 6-foot-5 and 1/6, and determined to carry Rain or Shine, one of the two remaining winless squads, into the win column.
But all eyes will be on the Gin Kings and the Hotshots.
Ginebra, the league’s crowd darling, played minus its premier big men Japeth Aguilar and Christian Standhardinger on Friday night due to injuries, but the Gin Kings were still able to pull off a big 115-100 triumph over NorthPort.
Aguilar and Standhardinger are both nursing knee injuries and will be a doubtful against the Hotshots, who are likely going to miss its main man in the middle, Ian Sangalang, who is down with a bum stomach.
