EASTER RESURRECTION
Either the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters or the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings will experience a sort of resurrection on the Easter Sunday presentation of the PLDT HomeTVolution PBA Commissioner’s Cup.
They battle in a crucial match at 5:15 p.m. at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, both looking to salvage a spot in the best-of-three quarterfinals.
It’s a virtual fight for sixth place at the close of the elimination round.
Rain or Shine (4-4) hopes to avoid complications of any tie for No. 6 while Ginebra is determined to create a logjam and sneak into the Top Six with a possible superior quotient.
It could just be a two-way tie between Rain or Shine and Ginebra, a three-way logjam among San Mig Coffee, Rain or Shine and Ginebra or a heavy four-way standoff among Meralco, Alaska, San Mig Coffee and Rain or Shine. It would also depend on the result of the first game between Alaska and San Mig Coffee.
But whatever would be the result of the Alaska-San Mig tiff, expect the Elasto Painters and the Kings to figure in a slambang duel.
The Kings in fact are bringing in two-time PBA Best Import awardee Gabe Freeman in their hope to improve their performance.
“Freeman is a match-up problem, but we are also hopeful that (Wayne) Chism will play a lot better than his last few games,” said Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao.
Both teams sacrificed supposed Holy Week vacation as they braced up for an expected Easter Sunday battle.
“Our preparation should get us through our game versus Ginebra,” said Guiao. “If we win, we can consider this as our own resurrection this conference coming off a bad start.”
The Kings have practically the same thing in mind following losing runs with earlier imports Leon Rodgers and the Josh Powell.
Ginebra team official Robert Non said the Kings are in high spirits, energized by the arrival of Freeman.
“Dunk ng dunk at takbo ng takbo sa practice. Na-energize nya agad ang mga locals,” said Non. (SB)
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