Meralco, Ginebra plunge into quarters action
Credit to Author: Josef T. Ramos, TMT| Date: Sat, 23 Nov 2019 17:03:08 +0000
Meralco and Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, both armed with a twice-to-beat, battle their respective opponents tonight at the start of the quarterfinal of Season 44 Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup at the Araneta Coliseum.
The No. 2 Bolts will face No. 7 Alaska at 4:30 p.m., while the No. 4 Gin Kings will take on No. 5 San Miguel Beermen at 6:45 p.m.
“With the elims now over, our total concentration is on reaching the semifinals. Alaska has been playing good basketball so we are expecting a tough challenge,” said Bolts coach Norman Black .
“We need to be ready for the fact that they have been thriving with early offense and a strong team defense,” he added. “On our end, we just want to continue to execute and play the type of basketball that has gotten us to this point.”
Meanwhile, San Miguel Beer coach Leo Austria remains optimistic of their chances in the tournament.
“It’s a tough matchup for us because we know that Ginebra is a contender especially they have Justin Brownlee and they are playing really well. This is playoff so we have to play an all-out game. The goal is still there and we are aiming for a Grand Slam,” said Austria.
The Beermen will be playing without Arwind Santos, Kelly Nabong and Ronald Tubid who were suspended by the league indefinitely for their involvement in a brawl during a practice session last week.
John Holland, who replaced Dez Wells will be playing his third straight game as San Miguel Beer import.