#PBA2015 PREVIEW: GLOBALPORT BATANG PIER vs BLACKWATER ELITE – GATHERING STEAM

A big win by GLO in their last game finally put them at .500 in the standings and within striking distance of some of the top teams. They surely want to gather steam heading into the last few matches of the conference to set themselves up for the next round.

Blackwater, meanwhile, couldn’t capitalize on the their huge upset of SMB as they got trounced by the NLEX Road Warriors. They just had no answer for import Al Thornton, and they will probably have their hands full today as well against the duo of Terrence Romeo and Calvin Warner.

Here are some things to look at:

1. TERRIFIC TERRENCE

Speaking of Romeo, the former FEU standout had another great shooting display against Barako Bull. He connected on 8 of his 14 FGs and led his team to the big win. If he can consistently find the mark again today, GLO should be in great shape.

Comm Cup Stats: 21.7ppg, 3.8rpg, 2.7apg, 46.9 3pt%, 45.6 FG%

vs BAR: 24pts, 3rebs, 2asts, 2 triples, 8/14 FGs

2. WONDERFUL WARNER

Import Calvin Warner also did really well for GLO, anchoring the middle effectively and being efficient on the offensive end. He finished with his first 20-20 of the conference, and if he can build on that here in his third game, GLO should be in great shape.

Debut vs MER: 24pts, 16rebs, 2asts, 2blks, 58.3 FG%

vs BAR: 23pts, 20rebs, 4asts, 4stls, 3blks, 60.0 FG%

3. ‘SUP WITH STAN?

One guy who has been a bit of a puzzle for GLO this conference has been star rookie Stanley Pringle. After a stellar Philippine Cup, it seems the top draft pick has hit a bit of a snag. He has been great in some games, while he has also struggled in some. Which one will show up today against BLA?

Season stats: 13.8ppg, 4.3apg, 1.7spg

Comm Cup stats: 11.5ppg, 3.2apg, 1.3spg

4. IT STARTS WITH DEFENSE

Defense was a big reason GLO was able to dominate BAR in their previous match. GLO had 11 steals on their way to forcing 21 turnovers from BAR. Warner, Pringle, and Denok Miranda each had at least 2 steals to embody the Batang Pier’s stifling D. If they can show that today, too, then BLA will be in deep trouble.

Calvin Warner – 4stls

Stanley Pringle – 2stls

Denok Miranda – 2stls

5. JETLAGGED DOUTHIT?

Perhaps one reason why BLA did so poorly in their previous game is the fact that Marcus Douthit just came from the States. His numbers were down from his usual stats, and that was pretty significant. If he can get his usual numbers tonight, the Elite may have a shot at an upset.

Comm Cup stats: 19.8ppg, 12.8rpg, 3.0apg, 1.3spg, 2.8bpg

vs NLX: 15pts, 12rebs, 1ast, 1stl, 1blk, 5/21 FGs

6. BIG BOY BRYAN

With Douthit struggling, Bryan Faundo took it upon himself to try and lead the Elite, but it was all for naught as they still lost. Despite that, one cannot deny how dependable Faundo has been for Blackwater Indeed, they would be nowhere without the former Letran big man’s contributions.

Comm Cup stats: 15.2ppg, 6.4rpg, 52.2 FG%

vs NLX: 17pts, 6rebs, 58.3 FG%

7. CELIZ STEPS UP

Another guy who stepped up was Robby Celiz, who came out of nowhere to give the Elite a lift. Known as a reliable inside operator in the D-League, Celiz showed his wares against NLX, scoring 15 points and stretching the floor with 4 treys. If he can keep that up, not only will he see more minutes, but BLA might actually win more games.

Comm Cup stats: 5.6ppg, 2.2rpg, 35.3 3pt%, 37.0 FG%

vs NLX: 15pts, 1reb, 4 triples, 50.0 FG%

8. CRASH THE BOARDS!

One thing BLA will have to keep tabs on in this game is the fact that they are terrible in rebounding. They need to crash the boards more lest they see a repeat of what happened against NLX, where they were outworked on the glass, 61-38.

Last game vs NLX: NLX – 61 rebs, BLA – 38rebs

Douthit – 12rebs

Faundo – 6rebs

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