D-LEAGUE: PACESETTERS OUT TO CONTINUE RAMPAGE
League leaders Hapee and Cagayan Valley look to stay unbeaten heading into the Christmas break when they face separate opponents on Monday in the PBA D-League Aspirants’ Cup at the Marikina Sports Complex.
The Fresh Fighters take on the MP Hotel Warriors at 12 noon while the Rising Suns battle the Racal Motors Alibaba at 2 o’clock.
Odds are heavily stacked in favor of the league’s only two unbeaten teams to continue their winning ways although a reversal is not being discounted.
Hapee (7-0) is seeking an eighth consecutive win that should be enough to secure the Fresh Fighters an outright semifinal berth.
MP Hotel [1-7], on the other hand, is on a five-game skid but a 10-day rest could be the break the Warriors need so badly to turn their fortunes around.
“They are a dangerous team. All their losses are close games so we can’t take them lightly. We can’t afford to overlook this team. No team in the D-League is a lightweight,” said Hapee coach Ronnie Magsanoc of their match-up against MP Hotel.
Off to their best start in nearly two years, the Rising Suns (6-0) are going for their seventh to galvanize their no. 2 position, but they will be without their coach Alvin Pua.
Pua has been suspended for three games and fined P50,000 by PBA Commissioner Chito Salud for physically contacting two game officials during the halftime break of their 82-74 victory against Jumbo Plastic Monday last week.
In the other game, struggling teams Wangs Basketball (2-4) and MJM Builders (1-6) battle each other in the first game at 10 a.m.
The Couriers and the Builders are both on a three-game skid and hard pressed to sweep their remaining assignments to get past the elimination round. (DBC)
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