PBA

Magnolia out for rebound vs Terrafirma

December 20, 2023 Robert Andaya 330 views

AFTER suffering its first loss of the conference at the hands of Rain or Shine, Magnolia Chicken Timplados hopes to get back into the winning track once again when it meets Terrafirma in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Despite dropping a close 110-113 decision to the E-Painters in a road game in Cagayan de Oro last Saturday, the Chito Victolero-mentored Hotshots are still sitting pretty with a 7-1 win-loss record.
They also lead the race for the Top 4 seats that reward twice-to-beat incentive in the quarterfinals.

Meralco (6-1) and the Phoenix Super LPG (6-1) trail behind, followed by the San Miguel (5-3) and NorthPort (5-3).

The Hotshots are favored to beat the Dyip, who are mired at 2-5 after losing their last four outings, including an ego-deflating 94-103 setbackto the previously winless Converge FiberXers.

Game time is 8 p.m.

Phoenix and NorthPort square off in another crucial encounter at 4 p.m

The Fuel Masters are gunning for their sixth straight win that would boost their record to 7-1 and put them in a much better position in the next round,.

At 5-3, the Batang Pier are also looking for a victory.

Meanwhile, Chris Ross.of San Miguel Beer was the unanimous choice as the PBA Press Corps-Pilipinas Live Player of the Week.

The 38-year-old Ross played like a true veteran for the period Dec. 13 to 17 when the Beermen gunned down two legitimate title contenders in reigning champion Barangay Ginebra and TNT one after the other.

Ross exploded for 22 points in a 95-82 rout of the Kings, and then steadied the ship in a 98-93 come-from-behind win over the Tropang Giga.

In the two games combined, the two-time Defensive Player of the Year averaged 13.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.5 steals in an all-around game that allowed San Miguel to climb back in the standings and improve at 5-3 for a tie with Northport for fourth to fifth places, and give the team a shot of clinching a twice-to-beat edge in the quarterfinals.

Crowding out Ross for the weekly honor handed out by the men and women who cover the PBA beat, are San Miguel teammates CJ Perez and Jericho Cruz, the Meralco trio of Allein Maliksi, Chris Newsome, and Chris Banchero, and Rain or Shine’s Andre Caracut and rookie Keith Datu.

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