Rejuvenated Magnolia faces Ginebra
Will Navarro makes his much-awaited debut on a Magnolia jersey against Ginebra in the PBA Philippine Cup on Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Photograph courtesy of pba
Games today:
(Smart Araneta Coliseum)
5 p.m. — NLEX vs Phoenix
7:30 p.m. — Barangay Ginebra vs Magnolia
A younger-looking Magnolia side battles Barangay Ginebra to bolster its bid for a quarterfinals twice-to-beat advantage in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup today at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Hotshots are set to parade newly acquired frontliner Will Navarro in the explosive showdown firing off at 7:30 p.m.
Magnolia got the versatile big man in a 3-for-1 deal that shipped veteran Calvin Abueva and Jerrick Balanza plus a future second-round pick to NorthPort.
Navarro brings youth and energy to the Hotshots, who already boast of a formidable frontline in Ian Sangalang, Zavier Lucero, Russell Escoto, James Laput and Rafi Reavis.
“We now have a good composition. First, we got a little younger and then we’ve established that position with Lucero and him. He added depth in our lineup and he can play multiple positions,” Victolero said.
The Hotshots’ new weapon is expected to help the franchise string a second straight win and improve their league-leading 7-1 win-loss slate.
Magnolia, which beat NorthPort, 106-97, last week in Candon, Ilocos Sur, is sure to find the Kings a tough customer especially after coming off a sorry 73-82 loss to defending champion Meralco.
Ginebra saw its three-game winning streak snapped in a highly emotional game marred by head coach Tim Cone’s ejection with 32 seconds left in the ballgame.
Sporting a 5-3 slate, the Kings only need one more win to secure a spot in the next round.
Meanwhile, Phoenix fights for dear life in must-win game against quarters-bound NLEX.
The Fuel Masters, sporting a 2-6 card, need to sweep their last three games to force a playoff for the last seat into the next round.
Phoenix is currently in ninth spot behind Meralco (6-5).
The Road Warriors hold a 6-2 mark in second to third spot, tied with San Miguel Beer. NLEX aims to get back on the winning track after having its six-game win streak snapped by the Bolts, 92-108, last week.