Games today:

(Philsports Arena)

5 p.m. — Rain or Shine vs Blackwater

7:30 p.m. — Barangay Ginebra vs NorthPort

Different rival, same approach.

Barangay Ginebra head coach Tim Cone is sticking with the same formula that has brought them so much success when they battle pacesetter NorthPort in an explosive encounter in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Commissioner’s Cup today at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City.

Rolling with back-to-back wins, the Kings try to make it three in a row in the main game set at 7:30 p.m.

Meanwhile, red-hot Rain or Shine eyes its fifth straight win against Blackwater in the 5 p.m. curtain-raiser.

Ginebra welcomed 2025 with a 93-81 victory over defending champion San Miguel Beer last Tuesday in a game that saw Troy Rosario drop 22 points including 16 in the second half for his best offensive performance in a Kings uniform.

Sporting a 5-2 win-loss record, a win will pull Ginebra up inside the top four.

The Kings, who ended the year 2024 with a 95-92 win over Magnolia, have been winning through their defense.

Ginebra held down its last two opponents to an average of 86.5 points. If the Kings could do the same against the high-scoring Batang Pier, they’ll have a better chance of extending their romp.

“Every game is different and I think we understand that as a group. I think we understand each game is different,” Cone said.

“But you know your approach can’t change, your approach stays solid and you try to create a standard in the way you play. That’s what we’re more focused on.”