Following a two-week break, the Philippine Basketball Association resumes its 2018 Governors’ Cup, pitting an intriguing double-header featuring the top teams battling squads in the lower echelon.
Riding a strong 2-0 start, Blackwater aims to keep in step with the teams above as it shoots for a share of first place when it plays abysmal Northport (0-4) at 4 p.m. at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Hours later, Phoenix (3-1) goes for a second straight victory as it gets tested by Meralco (1-2) at 7 p.m. in the nightcap.
Led by resident import Henry Walker, the Elite are gaining some attention following their strong early surge.
Blackwater caught a big fish right before the break as it took down goliath San Miguel Beer, 103-100, in a tight battle.
The victory obviously boosted the Elite’s confidence moving forward.
“We’re off to a good start. We’re able to beat one of the best teams in the league by playing our game,” said Walker. “Hopefully, this is just the beginning for us.”
While Blackwater is unbeaten, the Batang Pier remains winless in four games despite the consistent scoring efforts of star Stanley Pringle and import Rashad Woods.
All is not lost, but Northport is in need of a win to avoid a deeper hole.
The Fuel Masters are on a mission as well, also having a good start to its campaign.
The last time they were in action, they annihilated TNT KaTropa by 30 points, 112-82, as Eugene Phelps and Calvin Abueva continued to show the way.
On the other hand, the Bolts are yet to find their groove, dropping two of their first three assignments.
Meralco is looking to arrest a two-game slide to get back into the thick of things.
The league halted its action to give way to the past window of the FIBA World Cup qualifiers wherein the National team split its games against Iran and Qatar, ending up triumphant against the latter.
