Gin Kings shoot for semis spot
One team secured a spot in the Final Four armed with a twice-to-beat advantage, while the other missed out on that opportunity and is hoping for a decisive match on Sunday.
Brgy. Ginebra will face sixth-ranked NorthPort on Friday at the PhilSports Arena in their quest for a quick semifinals entry.
The Gin Kings are favored to win, but they understand they need to work hard and possibly put in extra effort to overcome the Batang Pier and move closer to their goal of defending their title.
Coach Tim Cone and his team are prepared for a challenging competition in the PBA Season 48 Commissioner’s Cup playoffs.
Both teams are determined to compete fiercely, as NorthPort is consistently a formidable opponent.
The Batang Pier have not advanced to the semifinals since the 2019 Governors’ Cup.
NorthPort is a relatively new team with a young roster under the tutelage of Boni Tan.
Tan is banking on do-it-all import Venky Jois, who is averaging 24.5 points, 15.2 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 2.1 blocks, and 1.8 steals. The local players have also contributed significantly to their team’s success.
Arvin Tolentino is the team’s top scorer, averaging 22.3 points per game, followed by Joshua Munzon who also has impressive averages of 12.5 points, 2.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 2.4 steals.
Additionally, Paul Zamar, Cade Flores, JM Calma, Fran Yu, and Brent Paraiso can be counted on for quality minutes.
A concern though is matching up against Brgy. Ginebra’s frontline rotation of Christian Standhardinger, Japeth Aguilar, Jamie Malonzo, and Tony Bishop.
The Gin Kings capitalized on their advantage and defeated the Batang Pier, 103-93, in their elimination round match on January 7th. They won their game against the NLEX Road Warriors, 103-99, to secure a spot in the Top 4 and a twice-to-beat bonus.
