Heavyweights collide

DEZ Wells will be a marked man when San Miguel battles Magnolia.

The best team in the league meets the reigning champion.

Out on a mission to complete their second grand slam, San Miguel Beer gets a major test when they clash with reigning champion Magnolia in the 2019 Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup today at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Game time is at 7 p.m. with the Beermen looking to protect their immaculate record to remain on hunt for a rare grand slam they last achieved under Norman Black in 1989.

Prior to that, Columbian Dyip and Blackwater try to climb the team standings when they collide at 4:30 p.m.

Powered by rookie CJ Perez, the Dyip are holding a 2-2 win-loss card while the Elite finally entered the win column after beating NorthPort, 109-98, last weekend at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City.

In that game, the Elite unleashed a well-balanced attack with five players coming up with double figures while Marqus Blakely finally catching fire with an awesome all-around performance.

Ray Parks led the scoring parade with 21 points while Carl Bryan Cruz had 16 markers for the Elite, who drew 13 points, 14 rebounds, seven assists and eight blocks from Blakely.

Blackwater head coach Aris Dimaunahan said their win was quite impressive and it could be the start of something good for their young squad.

“Hopefully, we could again build on it and get another win on our next game,” said Dimaunahan, whose wards improved to 1-2 win-loss card.

Still, attention will be on San Miguel and Magnolia.

After ruling the Philippine Cup and the Commissioner’s Cup last year, the Beermen were toying with the possibility of winning the grand slam.

With Kevin Murphy as import, the Beermen huffed and puffed in the elimination round and made it to the quarterfinals as the sixth seed.

Third-seed Alaska crushed San Miguel Beer in the Last Eight before making it all the way to the best-of-seven finals series where Magnolia dominated it, 4-2.

The setback motivated the Beermen, firing them up to win the All-Filipino Conference and Commissioner’s Cup anew.

And with another golden opportunity to clinch the grand slam, the Beermen definitely want a win over the defending champions to avenge their setback last year and boost their morale heading into the crucial stretch of the elimination round.

“At first, we’re not thinking about the grand slam,” said Beermen head coach Leo Austria, whose wards have yet to falter in their first three games.

“But since we’re already here, we might as well finish the job.”

“We’re facing a Magnolia team that is very solid. They are the defending champions. A win over them will make us feel good about our objectives and chances of achieving our mission.”

San Miguel is coming off a 98-94 win over NLEX last week in Dubai behind another explosive performance from import Dez Wells, who collected 32 points, 14 rebounds and four assists.

Wells also drew plenty of help from his teammates led by Alex Cabagnot with 20 points and reigning Most Valuable Player June Mar Fajardo, who tallied 16 points and 18 rebounds.

Magnolia enters the game with a three-game winning streak and the team of head coach Chito Victolero is coming off a 95-90 escape over winless Alaska.

“A win is a win. We’ll take it anyway, whether is one point, two points, three points, 20 points or 30 points whatever it is,” Victolero said.

“We’re just very happy that we got through our back-to-back games.”