By REYNALD MAGALLON
TNT and San Miguel, two flagship teams of the two biggest conglomerates in the PBA, are set for a colossal duel Thursday in the PBA Philippine Cup at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
Serving as an appetizer is the collision between Converge and NLEX at 5:15 p.m. before the marquee matchup between the Beermen and the Tropang Giga takes centerstage at 7:15 p.m.
San Miguel, which boasts of a league-best 6-1 win-loss record, hopes to extend its winning run to four when it tries to foil the red-hot TNT which are riding the crest of a five-game winning streak for a 7-2 slate.
Tropang Giga head coach Chot Reyes, however, stressed that his team should not let the win streak get in their head especially facing a dangerous Beermen who despite the injuries plaguing their lineup, have showcased their depth in their recent wins.
A highly anticipated showdown between the league’s most explosive guards in SMB’s CJ Perez and TNT’s prolific scorer Mikey Williams is also expected to add more color to the storied rivalry.
San Miguel head coach Leo Austria hopes his bench continues to deliver against TNT since Mo Tautuaa remains questionable and Chris Ross (knee), Vic Manuel (calf) and Terrence Romeo (slipped disc) still unavailable.
“We have to maintain it that way because next game namin is TNT and that’s very crucial if we will win against them I think we will be getting the one or two position, we will have a good chance but we’re not complacent with our wins and we should move on on what we’re doing and keep on learning,” said Austria.
Guys like Jericho Cruz, Paul Zamar, Von Pessumal and Robbie Herndon have been providing the Beermen a huge lift off the bench.
“Every game is a different ball game because against a different team so we have to keep on adjusting and we have to map out what kind of defense and what kind of strategy we are going to do,” he added.
