A GOLDEN CHANCE
Buoyed by its massive win that put a halt to Magnolia’s perfect start in the PBA Philippine Cup, Rain or Shine is aching for more.
The Elasto Painters are hoping to do so on Wednesday at the expense of the TNT Tropang 5G, whose Grand Slam quest is facing another adversity with Rey Nambatac sidelined by a groin injury.
And coach Yeng Guiao didn’t hide the fact that the absence of Nambatac in the 7:30 p.m. contest at Ynares Center in Antipolo City is something that Rain or Shine, which is aiming to improve its 4-2 win-loss slate, should take advantage.
“It’s a big break for us,” Guiao said of the absence of Nambatac, who will be out for four to six weeks after getting hurt more than a week ago against Meralco.
TNT has been in a good run of form of late, with three straight wins after a 0-3 start. But missing Nambatac will further compound the big hole caused by Jayson Castro’s knee injury during the Commissioner’s Cup semifinals, incidentally also against Rain or Shine.
“It really happens to any team, but we just have to be ready,” added the veteran mentor.
The Tropang 5G will be banking more on Simon Enciso and Brian Heruela to fill not only Nambatac’s, but also Castro’s shoes on both ends.
But if there’s something bright TNT wants to look up to is the way Calvin Oftana and even RR Pogoy have taken the scoring cudgels, and Poy Erram showing his importance underneath.
Rain or Shine’s young and gritty bunch, led by PBA Press Corps Player of the Week Santi Santillan, Adrian Nocum, Keith Datu and Jhonard Clarito are expected to match TNT’s resolve.
Meanwhile, Meralco seeks to get back to its winning ways even without the suspended Cliff Hodge in the 5 p.m. opener against struggling Blackwater.
Hodge serves ban
Hodge will serve a one-game ban after his dangerous foul on Magnolia’s Zavier Lucero during last week’s contest that ended up with a 117-92 loss for Meralco at Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
The hard-nosed Meralco bruiser was also fined P100,000 for his dangerous tackle on Lucero, a play that also cost two Office of the Commissioner staff in executive director Eric Castro and referee chief Bong Pascual, one-game suspensions for failing to upgrade the initial call into a Flagrant Foul 2.
Both benches emptied because of the Hodge foul, and commissioner Willie Marcial levied the suspensions on his crew because they failed to get the situation under control.
The Bolts dropped to 3-5 with their second straight defeat and five of the last six as the defending champions are groping for consistency.
But defeating Blackwater could be the shot in the arm Meralco needs before heading into a killer windup to the eliminations in NLEX and rival Ginebra.
Blackwater is struggling with a 1-4 record.
