#PBA2015 GLOBALPORT BATANG PIER vs PUREFOODS STAR HOTSHOTS PREVIEW: GUNNING FOR PAYBACK

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In the first game between these two teams this season, Purefoods rallied from being down by as many as 18 points to pull the rug from under GlobalPort.

The Batang Pier were in good shape pretty much the entire game, but they couldn’t finish the job against the erstwhile defending champs. This time, with Denok Miranda and CJ Leslie in tow, the Batang Pier have a great chance of doing payback.

Here are some key things to watch in this game:

1. LEAPING LESLIE

Ranged against a bigger but slower Peter John Ramos, CJ Leslie did particularly well, scoring 33 points, grabbing 14 rebounds, handing out 4 assists, blocking 5 shots, and getting 2 steals. Against a smaller but quicker Marqus Blakely, however, Leslie will be hard-pressed to produce the same output. If he can dominate here like he did against Kia, though, then the Batang Pier should be okay.

CJ Leslie last game: 33pts, 14rebs, 5blks, 4asts, 2stls, 12/19 FGs.

2. BRO SINKS BUCKETS

Terrence “Bro” Romeo had a terrific outing against the Carnival. Yes, he is still a quintessential volume shooter, but one cannot argue with the results. Also, he was doing a lot of other things, making plays for his teammates, grabbing rebounds, and making stops. He had a bad game in GlobalPort’s last game against Purefoods, so he’s definitely ready to redeem himself.

Terrence Romeo last game: 19pts, 6asts, 5rebs, 1stl, 1blk, 8/20 FGs.

3. SLOW START

New acquisition Denok Miranda didn’t exactly make the best of impressions in his first game as a Batang Pier. He scored only 8 points and handed out just 1 assist, but when one considers he played only 15 minutes off the bench, that production is forgivable. Against a deeper and more experienced club like Purefoods, though, Miranda will need to play much more efficiently.

Denok Miranda last game: 8pts, 2rebs, 1ast, 2/8 FGs.

4. QUICK ATTACK

One thing that got GlobalPort past Kia was its transition attack. The Batang Pier scored 18 points off turnovers and scored 21 on the break. It’s clear that running and gunning is one big part of this team’s identity, and if they can continue to be effective on the break, then Purefoods could be in big trouble.

GLO key stats last game:

Pts off TOs: GLO 18, KIA 8

Fastbreak Pts: GLO 21, KIA 8

5. JUMPIN’ JOE

Joe Devance is currently playing his best basketball since coming from Alaska. He is averaging double-figures in scoring again, and he is shooting better than 50% from the field for the first time in his career. If he can continue on this trajectory, he could be Purefoods’ biggest weapon outside of its import.

Joe Devance current stats: 13.4ppg, 5.6rpg, 3.5apg, 1.0 triple per game, 33.3 3pt%, 52.5 FG%.

6. THE SCORING APOSTLE

Another guy who has been quietly consistent for Purefoods has been The Scoring Apostle, PJ Simon. He is currently second on the team in scoring. The question so far for him, however, has been consistency. If Simon can put up double-digit scoring in practically every Purefoods game, the Hotshots have a strong shot of defending their Commish Cup title.

PJ Simon current stats: 13.2ppg, 3.1rpg, 44.9 FG%, 84.9 FT%.

7. BIG GAME JAMES

Of course, one cannot talk about this team without talking about James Yap. He had an up-and-down first conference, but the long rest should serve him well and make him more dangerous this conference. With guys like Devance, Pingris, and Blakely mixing it up inside, Yap should have a bit more room to operate in the perimeter. His FG% is actually up from last season, so it’s exciting to see if he can be a consistently dominant force again.

James Yap current stats: 12.3ppg, 3.8rpg, 41.5 FG%.

8. THE BLAKELY FACTOR

Purefoods wanted Daniel Orton to be its main import, but  since he is still tied up in the CBA, veteran reinforcement Marqus Blakely will have to do for now. That is by no means a bad thing of course, since Blakely has been awesome for Purefoods in years past. Of course, he normally plays in the Govs’ Cup, so seeing him against much bigger foes in this conference will be a unique challenge. Still, one should expect Blakely to provide a lot of energy and production across the board.

Marqus Blakely PBA career stats: 21.9ppg, 14.7rpg, 3.9apg, 2.2spg, 2.3bpg, 47.2 FG%.

9. PREVIOUS MEETING: WHATTA RALLY

In the previous and only meeting so far this season between these two teams, GlobalPort built a huge lead only to see it whittled down by the relentless attack of the Hotshots. Mark Barroca and Allein Maliksi were the main catalysts of the Hotshots’ second half rally, and they eventually ended up with a combined 45 points.

– Marc Pingris did well in that game, too dropping 9 markers on top of 17 rebounds.

– Needless to say, GlobalPort will need all its stars to score and produce for them to have a chance against the defending champs, who are all too hungry after an early exit in the Philippine Cup.

Last game against each other:

PUR Leaders:

Mark Barroca – 25pts

Allein Maliksi – 20pts

PJ Simon – 12pts

Marc Pingris – 9pts, 17rebs

GLO Leaders:

Stanley Pringle – 20pts (12 in the 1qtr)

Mark Isip – 17pts

*Terrence Romeo had only 5pts

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