NorthPort fights for life; NLEX, SMB dispute bonus
Published Mar 15, 2023 06:14 am
NorthPort battles for survival against TNT while San Miguel Beer and NLEX clash for the twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals as the 2023 PBA Governors’ Cup resumes at the PhilSports Arena on Wednesday, March 15.
The playoff-seeking Batang Pier, just sitting outside the playoff picture, hope to force a do-or-die match against No. 8 Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters when they lock horns to the already quarters-bound Tropang Giga in the first game at 3 p.m. Following suit is another crucial collision between the Beermen and the Road Warriors who are both looking for a victory to formalize their quarterfinals passage in the second game at 5:45 p.m. NorthPort, which managed to stay in contention for a quarterfinals seat following a 113-97 victory over Rain or Shine last March 4, is in dire need of a victory to keep its playoff hopes alive and tie the idle Phoenix at the eighth spot with 4-7 record. Easier said than done though, especially against the league-pacing Tropang Giga who should be eager to redeem themselves after a forgettable campaign in the EASL Champions Week. Making TNT even more dangerous is prolific import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson who finally got a chance to get himself more familiar playing with his teammates and acclimatize himself to the country’s brand of play. RR Pogoy, Jayson Castro and Calvin Oftana who all saw action in the 2023 PBA All-Star game in Passi City, Iloilo are also expected to provide support. The high-scoring Batang Pier import Kevin Murphy is out to lead his team to another victory but will need more from his supporting cast of Robert Bolick, Arvin Tolentino, Joshua Munzon and Arwind Santos for them to pull off a gargantuan upset against the Tropang Giga. Meanwhile in the second game, San Miguel is also returning to action after a disastrous campaign in the EASL. Compounding the woes for the Beermen is the absence of June MAr Fajaro who will be out for six to eight weeks due to a Grade 3 MCL injury. That left much of the load to the shoulders of import Cameron Clark although he still got the likes of CJ Perez, Marcio Lassiter, Vic Manuel, Jericho Cruz and Simon Enciso to fill the gaps. NLEX, on the other hand, has import Wayne Selden Jr. to lead the charge along with stars Kevin Alas and Don Trollano.
*Robert Bolick looks to lead NorthPort to a victory against powerhouse TNT. (PBA Images)
*The playoff-seeking Batang Pier, just sitting outside the playoff picture, hope to force a do-or-die match against No. 8 Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters when they lock horns to the already quarters-bound Tropang Giga in the first game at 3 p.m. Following suit is another crucial collision between the Beermen and the Road Warriors who are both looking for a victory to formalize their quarterfinals passage in the second game at 5:45 p.m. NorthPort, which managed to stay in contention for a quarterfinals seat following a 113-97 victory over Rain or Shine last March 4, is in dire need of a victory to keep its playoff hopes alive and tie the idle Phoenix at the eighth spot with 4-7 record. Easier said than done though, especially against the league-pacing Tropang Giga who should be eager to redeem themselves after a forgettable campaign in the EASL Champions Week. Making TNT even more dangerous is prolific import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson who finally got a chance to get himself more familiar playing with his teammates and acclimatize himself to the country’s brand of play. RR Pogoy, Jayson Castro and Calvin Oftana who all saw action in the 2023 PBA All-Star game in Passi City, Iloilo are also expected to provide support. The high-scoring Batang Pier import Kevin Murphy is out to lead his team to another victory but will need more from his supporting cast of Robert Bolick, Arvin Tolentino, Joshua Munzon and Arwind Santos for them to pull off a gargantuan upset against the Tropang Giga. Meanwhile in the second game, San Miguel is also returning to action after a disastrous campaign in the EASL. Compounding the woes for the Beermen is the absence of June MAr Fajaro who will be out for six to eight weeks due to a Grade 3 MCL injury. That left much of the load to the shoulders of import Cameron Clark although he still got the likes of CJ Perez, Marcio Lassiter, Vic Manuel, Jericho Cruz and Simon Enciso to fill the gaps. NLEX, on the other hand, has import Wayne Selden Jr. to lead the charge along with stars Kevin Alas and Don Trollano.