Barangay Ginebra and Rain Or Shine face long odds when they lock horns with separate opponents in the PBA Philippine Cup quarterfinals at Ynares Center in Antipolo city on Sunday.
Ginebra-Alaska tips off 6:45 p.m., while Rain Or Shine-San Miguel opens the double-header at 4:30 p.m.
Both Ginebra and Rain Or Shine need to beat their respective foes 2 times to advance to the semifinals and it'll be an uphill battle based on last year's numbers. Teams that had a twice-to-win handicap were 1-9 in the past season.
Ginebra finished the elimination round winning 3 of its last 4 games, but those victories all came at the expense of non-quarterfinal teams. Coach Time Cone's squad is 1-5 against squads that are in the playoffs.
All eyes will be on Japeth Aguilar and whether he has fully recovered from a muscle strain in his shooting arm.
“Hopefully, in three to five days, he improves and regains his post strength,” Cone said on January 29.
Alaska is starting to look like the same squad that made it all the way to the finals in last year's Philippine Cup, going 7-2 in its last 9 games after losing its first 2.
A mix of shooters (Jayvee Casio, RJ Jazul and Dondon Hontiveros) and a reliable inside presence (Vic Manuel, Calvin Abueva) has proven to be a winning formula for coach Alex Compton's crew.
In the first game, Rain Or Shine faces the unenviable task of beating a team that has lost only once in 11 games and boasts the three-time defending MVP.
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