FRONTCOURT-HEAVY BEERMEN BATTLE BACKCOURT-LOADED BATANG PIER
Reigning league MVP June Mar Fajardo made mincemeat of San Miguel Beer’s opponent the last time.
The Kraken recorded a career-high 36 points, hauled down 17 boards, and even made a three-pointer to cap his dominating performance against Kia.
Through seven games, this has been the story for San Miguel Beer, their plays revolving around Fajardo and his other frontcourt players, especially Arwind Santos.
It is a different case for GlobalPort.
With Alex Cabagnot, Terrence Romeo, and rookie Stanley Pringle in their fold, many people expected the Batang Pier to lean on their three-guard combo.
And so far, coach Pido Jarencio has let his backcourt loose, and they have delivered impressive performances, helping GlobalPort stay in the thick of things in the middle of the pack.
On Tuesday, the two teams test each other, with one relying on its dominance down low, with the other trusting its dynamic backcourt.
The taller San Miguel squad squares off with the quicker GlobalPort when the two teams face off in the 2015 PBA Philippine Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Beermen are gunning for a share of top spot, eyeing their fourth straight victory as the end of the elimination phase nears. A win puts San Miguel in a better position to nab one of the top two spots, which would automatically send them to the semifinals.
But it will take more than Fajardo for them to better achieve their goals.
“Kailangan naming mag-work as a team. Di naman pwede na isang tao lang ang gagawa, pati sa bench kailangan mag-contribute din. So sana, sa next game, mag-step up din yung iba,” said Fajardo.
At 4-4, GlobalPort wants to improve its standing and prepare for the quarterfinals. But with a tough schedule at the tailend of the eliminations, Jarencio is challenging his wards to step up their level of play.
“Mabibigat yung mga laro natin. Kailangan step up na tayo. Yung level ng laro, itaas na natin,” he said.
Game time is at 4:15 p.m. (RL)
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