BARANGAY Ginebra and Magnolia shoot for their first win when the two squads collide with separate opponents in the PBA Season 50 Governors’ Cup on Friday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
The Gin Kings clash with the Blackwater Bossing at 7:30 p.m.
The 5:15 p.m. opening match features the Hotshots going up against the Meralco Bolts.
Ginebra stumbled in its opening game last weekend against Phoenix, 81-78.
Riley Grigsby, serving as the Gin Kings’ stand-in import, carried much of the scoring load after debuting with 42 points and 13 rebounds, as the team played without injured guard Scottie Thompson and Justin Brownlee, who will still be out for several weeks.
Ginebra plays a Blackwater side that won its first two games, before absorbing its first loss in the tournament, a narrow 116-114 decision to Meralco recently.
The Bossing have showed remarkable improvement under interim coach Patrick Aquino, beating Rain or Shine and Magnolia in their first two outings before the setback against the Bolts.
Ginebra will have to contend with Blackwater, which has been drawing inspiration and energy from import Kentrell Barkley and the team’s energetic guards Sedrick Barefield, RK Ilagan and rookie Dalph Panopio.
The Blackwater trio has been carrying the scoring load in support of Barkley as the team is expected to miss young big man Christian David due to a knee injury.
Ginebra, meanwhile, remains a favorite to win against the Bossing but may need time to regain its strength, just a month removed from the Commissioner’s Cup title conquest.
Ginebra’s Commissioner’s Cup hero RJ Abarrientos is expected to redeem himself following a woeful 3-of-16 shooting that saw him just score eight points against Phoenix.
The Hotshots, on the other hand, are out to arrest a two-game losing skid to begin the conference, hoping they could snap out of the funk against the Bolts.
Meralco has won its last two games, beating Rain or Shine and Blackwater since opening the tournament with a one-point loss to Phoenix.
Magnolia hopes its young local players Zavier Lucero, Jerom Lastimosa, Chris Koon, and veterans Mark Barroca, Rome dela Rosa and Ian Sangalang will work well with import KJ Buffen in its effort to secure its first win.
