DEFENDING champion TNT will be shooting for a strong start against Magnolia as both squads begin their PBA Season 50 Governors Cup best-of-five quarterfinal series on Sunday at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City.
The Tropang 5G managed to reach the playoffs after overcoming an injury-riddled roster early in the conference en route to clinching the fourth seed in Group A with a 7-5 record.
The Hotshots, on the other hand, sealed the top seed in Group A after ending the elimination round with a 7-3 card.
Both teams collide in their series-opening game at 7:30 p.m.
Import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Jayson Castro, Poy Erram and Calvin Oftana are all back since missing a big part of the elimination round with separate injuries.
Hollis-Jefferson, who spent the last 10 months recovering from an Achilles injury he sustained last December in his stint with Meralco in the East Asia Super League, is back and hungry to lead TNT to another PBA title.
He came in to take the spot of Nick Hornsby, who played just one game as temporary import.
RHJ had a good workout during his first game back with TNT, firing 22 points, six rebounds, five assists and two blocks in 22 minutes in a 142-87 demolition of the Macao Giant Pandas.
For the Hotshots, the latest of their playoff meeting with the Tropang 5G gives them a chance to try to exorcize the ghost of their past postseason failures.
Magnolia has lost to TNT in their last two quarterfinal duels, thus giving coach LA Tenorio a chance for redemption.
The Hotshots last won a PBA championship in the 2018 Governors’ Cup when they were still being handled by coach Chito Victolero.
Meanwhile, the 5:15 p.m. match features Group A top seed NLEX going up against Phoenix.
NLEX closed the elimination round with a 9-3 record, the same slate as San Miguel Beer.
But the charges of new coach Jimmy Alapag got the No.1 ranking due to superior quotient.
The Road Warriors tangle with the Fuel Masters, who got bludgeoned by the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, 133-103, at the close of elimination round last Friday.
“I think Rain or Shine just ran us out of the building, so a bit of a disappointing performance heading into the playoffs. But sana it’s a wake-up call for us that we have to be much better,” said Fuel Masters coach Charles Tiu after that game.
RICHARD DY
