NLEX wary of skidding Ginebra

Games today:

(Ynares Center-Antipolo)

5:15 p.m. — Converge vs San Miguel Beer

7:30 p.m. — NLEX vs Ginebra

Red-hot NLEX will be leaning on the momentum of its sizzling win streak when it takes on the challenge of scrambling Barangay Ginebra for the solo lead in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Season 50 Philippine Cup Sunday at the Ynares Center-Antipolo.      

Tipoff time is set at 7:30 p.m. following the 5:15 p.m. encounter between Converge and depleted defending champion San Miguel Beer.

The Road Warriors crashed into a share of the top spot alongside Magnolia, Rain or Shine and TNT after stringing three straight victories for a 4-1 win-loss record.

Young guns JB Bahio and Xyrus Torres took the spotlight in NLEX’s 99-88 win over Blackwater last Wednesday, scoring 23 and 18, respectively.

Main gunner Robert Bolick is also slowly getting back into rhythm after missing the first couple of games of the Road Warriors due to the passing of his father.  

Although NLEX is in pole position and has built a strong case to advance into the next round, head coach Jong Uichico reminds his wards of the tough road ahead in the single round-robin eliminations of the all-Filipino conference.   

“We now have some breathing room. But we’re heading into a stretch of challenging games with little prep time so, we still have to stay focused. We know we’re going up against stronger teams down the stretch,” Uichicho said.

And one of the big teams that the Road Warriors will face is Ginebra, which is desperate to get back on the winning track after falling behind in the tightening playoffs race.

The Kings have lost back-to-back games, tied in eighth to ninth with the Bossing.

Ginebra is currently lumbering in its worst start in a conference since the 2018 Commissioner’s Cup and rockiest for the ballclub in a decade in the Philippine Cup.

Decorated mentor Tim Cone’s Kings have suffered a 75-89 defeat to Meralco, followed by a painful 81-83 loss to the Beermen in a Dubai showdown a week ago.