Barangay Ginebra and Blackwater – two teams looking to end their respective droughts – lock horns in the 2024 PBA Philippine Cup on Friday, April 12, at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.

Uncharacteristically on a two-game slide, the Kings are hoping to finally fix things against the Bossing who are also raring to snap their own three-game losing streak in the 7:30 p.m. affair.

Raising the curtain to the clash deemed vital to their respective playoff bids is a showdown between Phoenix and Converge at 4:30 p.m.

The Fuel Masters and the FiberXers are also searching for a victory which they hope to be the turning point for their lowly campaigns so far in the conference.

Ginebra finds itself in an unusual position in the standings, sitting at the sixth spot with an even 3-3 record.

Kings head coach Tim Cone has already pressed the alarm button after back-to-back losses to San Miguel Beermen and Terrafirma Dyip, stressing the need for his team to find their chemistry in the absence of star guard Scottie Thompson.

“We’re scraping the bottom of the barrel right now. We’re not playing good basketball. We know that. Our chemistry is in shambles at this point. We need to fix it. There’s a lot of things to fix,” said Cone after the stunning 91-85 loss to the Dyip.

Stanley Pringle, Maverick Ahanmisi, and Jamie Malonzo need to step up in Thompson’s absence and address the mounting frustrations at the Kings’ camp.

Blackwater, on the other hand, is not in a better position, also sporting a 3-3 slate but had already lost three straight games.

Free throw shooting emerged as the team’s biggest waterloo in the close losses to Rain or Shine, Terrafirma and NLEX.

Still, that cannot takeaway the improved playing of the Bossing this conference, largely behind the addition of Rey Nambatac to a potent crew spearheaded by Troy Rosario, Jvee Casio, RK Ilagan and rookies Christian David and James Kwekuteye.