Wednesday Games:
(at San Andres Gym)
7 p.m. — Quezon City vs Pampanga
9 p.m. — Manila vs Mandaluyong
EXPECT fireworks in the offing as powerhouse teams Manila and Mandaluyong collide in the main game of the MPBL Datu Cup at the San Andres Gym.
Both teams are coming off from shocking losses to their less heralded rivals, making their 9 p.m. encounter tonight more anticipating as both squads are eager to bounce back and get back on the winning track.
Manila is currently in third place of the standings with a 7-2 card, just half a game behind Mandaluyong at 6-2.
But the game between the Robust Energy Capsule-backed Stars and the Dataland-supported El Tigre would be a battle between two title favorites.
The veteran-laden Stars composed of ex-pros Roger Yap, Riel Cervantes and Drian Celada, and young stars Aris Dionisio and Chris Bitoon among others will do everything they can to slow down Ray Parks and the rest of the El Tigre.
Parks is the second best scorer in the tournament — put up by Senator Manny Pacquiao with PBA legend and former MVP Kenneth Duremdes serving as commissioner — averaging 20.4 points per game and is also in the top 10 in assists and steals.
Quezon City and Pampanga collide in the first game at 7 p.m. The two struggling squads had taken on different paths.
Quezon City, which is being supported by Black Mamba, is playing only its seventh game as heavy rains forced the league to cancel their matches. The Capitals last played on Sept. 8 at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig where they outlasted the Valenzuela Classic-CDO Idol Cheesedog. The team carries a 2-4 slate.
The Capitals will be facing a Lanterns team owned by Congressman Dong Gonzales that has lost three in a row. What makes the situation tougher for Pampanga is the fact that it will lose its top scorer, Michael Juico, for the rest of the season due to a muscle tear on his knee. — Rey Joble
