Powell, Dragons seek perfection

Myles Powell aims to lead Bay Area to a perfect start in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup. Photo courtesy of PBA
Games Friday
(Smart Araneta Coliseum)
3 p.m. — Terrafirma vs Meralco
5:45 p.m. — Bay Area vs Converge
Myles Powell aims to lead Bay Area to a perfect record before giving way for fellow import Andrew Nicholson when they face Converge in the Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner's Cup on Friday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Game time is set at 5:45 p.m. following the match between Meralco and the slumping Terrafirma side in the 3 p.m. first game.
Barely standing at 6-foot-2, Powell, a former Philadelphia 76ers playmaker, has been impressive in his first three games, posting glowing averages of 36.7 points on 34.1 percent three-point shooting and 83.3 percent free throw shooting with eight rebounds and three steals.
The Dragons win their first three games, including a tough 105-104 squeaker over NorthPort in which the crafty American knocked down a buzzer-beating three-pointer.
Since then, Powell had become the gold standard among imports as he stepped up big time in this tourney where the height ceiling is pegged at 6-foot-10.
Still, despite Powell's brilliance, the Dragons are set to replace him with Andrew Nicholson – a sweet-shooting Canadian who played for the Orlando Magic, the Washington Wizards and the Brooklyn Nets in a five-year National Basketball Association career.
He will make his debut against Barangay Ginebra San Miguel on Sunday before facing
San Miguel Beer on 16 October, Terrafirma on 21 October, and Meralco on 4 November.
The switch is necessary since, as per PBA rules, only one import is allowed and the Dragons arranged a setup in which they split the first eight games between Powell and Nicholson.
