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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Basketball devider SMB, Ginebra lock horns in duel of Group B favorites

SMB, Ginebra lock horns in duel of Group B favorites

Published Aug 27, 2024 05:21 am

At A Glance

  • The big guns and heavy favorites in Group B figure in a marquee collision as San Miguel Beer and Barangay Ginebra lock horns in the PBA Season 49 Governors' Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Tuesday, Aug. 27.

The big guns and heavy favorites in Group B figure in a marquee collision as San Miguel Beer and Barangay Ginebra lock horns in the PBA Season 49 Governors’ Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Tuesday, Aug. 27.

 

PBA Images7 (68).jpg
Jordan Adams is facing off against Ginebra's resident import Justin Brownlee (PBA Images)


 The dominant and mighty Beermen gun for win No. 3 against the Kings who have yet to find their footing in the conference in the 7:30 p.m. showdown while an equally thrilling contest between early Group A leader TNT (2-0) and second-running Converge (1-1) serves as an appetizer in the curtain raiser at 5 p.m.

Fueled by their bid to get back to the promised land after getting denied by the Meralco Bolts in the Philippine Cup last season, the Beermen displayed an early show of force behind a pair of dominant showings from June Mar Fajardo and import Jordan Adams.

SMB, so far, has obliterated anyone on its path with the Beermen scoring a 111-107 win over Phoenix behind a 37-point, 26-rebound output from Fajardo before whipping Blackwater, 128-108, behind a 50-point explosion from Adams.

As commanding as SMB was in the first two games, it has yet to fully reach potential with Marcio Lassiter and Simon Enciso still on the sidelines due to injuries and health issues while Terrence Romeo is also considered day-to-day.

In contrast, Ginebra hasn’t been the title contenders everyone is expecting it to be, just by basing on its 73-64 debut loss against Rain or Shine in Candon City, Ilocos Sur on Saturday, Aug. 26.

The Kings are far from the form that allowed them to become one of the finalists in the last edition of Governors’ Cup, still largely due to their new players still adjusting to the team.

Isaac Go and rookie RJ Abarrientos combined for a miserable 1-of-29 shooting from the field with the latter missing all of his eight attempts from three-point territory and three from the four-point line.

Even returning import Justin Brownlee was not on his usual self, shooting just 7-of-18 from the field to finish with 18 points while Scottie Thompson was not entirely better with only four points to show on a poor 1-of-10 shooting.

Meanwhile, the opening game features an interesting showdown between two formidable and NBA caliber imports with Rondae Hollis-Jefferson spearheading the Tropang Giga and Scotty Hopson leading the charge for the FIberXers.

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