Spreading wings
There is a huge showdown awaiting everyone on Easter Sunday evening in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup.
The fact that two rising stars are enough to seize a huge share of the spotlight is proof of the depth of talent the league’s top professional hoops league has right now.
Robert Bolick and Ricci Rivero came through with big performances for their respective teams just before the tournament took a break for Lent and head into Sunday as two of the top local scorers of the conference.
Bolick (22.8 points per game) and Rivero (22.5 ppg) are expected to keep their form when NLEx and Phoenix square off at the Smart Araneta Coliseum at the resumption of Season 50.
Bolick and the Road Warriors battle Rivero and the Fuel Masters at 5:15 p.m. with much at stake: The two teams part ways after sharing a 3-1 win-loss slate, good for a slice of second place with the Meralco Bolts.
The bigger showdown happens later in the evening when sister teams San Miguel Beer (2-2) and Barangay Ginebra (2-1) collide, with the winner gaining some momentum going into the second-third part of the eliminations.
But even the magnitude of that game—and the crowd-drawing appeal of both squads—cannot completely overshadow the matchup between two of the best wingmen in the league today, with Bolick and Rivero spurring their team to huge victories in their previous outings.
‘Character win’
A three-pointer by Bolick down the stretch helped propel NLEx to a comeback win over Ginebra, 118-113, on March 27 at the Big Dome. Bolick would eventually finish with 32 points and earn Player of the Week honors from the PBA Press Corps.
“It was a character win,” said Bolick, who also lauded the performance of teammate Cady Lalanne for his “calmness,” apart from the import’s 28 points and 14 rebounds.
“We’ve been playing well the past few games; guys like [Schonny Winston] and [rookie LJ Gonzales] have been crucial for us and [coach Jong Uichico] has done a good job in terms of handling the team, so it has been a collective effort,” Bolick added.
Two nights before Bolick’s performance, Rivero came up big for Phoenix by firing a career-high 40 points at the Ynares Center in Antipolo to hand surprising Terrafirma its first defeat of the conference, 133-105.
Rivero went berserk in the second period with a series of rainbow shots that drained the fight out of the Dyip and kept the Fuel Masters in a promising start under new coach Charles Tiu.
“I think [coach Charles’] system fits well with the players that we have,” said Rivero. “I’m thankful for his trust and the confidence that we need for us to play at the higher level, which has been a big factor in our early success.”
Acid test
In the second game, new Beermen import Justin Patton gets his first acid test after a solid debut on Tuesday against the winless Macau Black Knights.
Patton, who is listed at 7-foot-1, put up 24 points and 17 rebounds in the 110-94 rout of the Black Knights at Ninoy Aquino Stadium, but Ginebra is expected to come in as a tougher customer.
Ginebra edged out Converge, 99-93, the previous Sunday behind Justin Brownlee and RJ Abarrientos, plus support from backup guard Nards Pinto on the defensive end as the Gin Kings triumphed despite the absence of Japeth Aguilar due to an injury.
******
Get real-time news updates: inqnews.net/inqviber
