Unbeaten ROS battles charging SMB at PBA On Tour
Games Today
(Ynares Sports Arena, Pasig)
5 p.m. — TNT vs Terrafirma
7:30 p.m. — San Miguel Beer vs Rain Or Shine
RAIN Or Shine (ROS) and San Miguel Beer (SMB) shoot for their third straight win as they duke it out in a PBA On Tour clash headlining today’s double-header at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City.
Game time is at 7:30 p.m. with the Elasto Painters (2-0) bent on staying spotless and the Beermen (2-1) poised to sustain their charge in the pre-season tournament.
ROS kicked off its campaign with impressive victories over NLEX, 117-93, and Phoenix, 113-104, drawing strong performances from Rey Nambatac (18 points per game), Anton Asistio (16.5 ppg), Santi Santillan (11 ppg, 10.5 rebounds per game), Nick Demusis (10 ppg) and Andrei Caracut (10 ppg).
The Beermen, for their part, quickly recovered from their 101-106 opening setback to Phoenix and roared past NorthPort, 87-75, and Barangay Ginebra, 90-78.
Terrence Romeo, the tour’s top scorer with 20.7 markers per outing, and Rodney Brondial, the leading rebounder with 15.7, lead an SMB team competing minus June Mar Fajardo, Chris Ross, Marcio Lassiter, Simon Enciso and Vic Manuel.
Jericho Cruz, who’s averaging 17.3 points, is also solid for the Beermen, who got added ammo last Sunday with CJ Perez returning to active duty.
Meanwhile, shorthanded TNT (0-1) aims to get on the win column against a breakthrough-seeking Terrafirma (0-2) in the 5 p.m. curtain-raiser.
The Tropang Giga are bannered by Glenn Khobuntin, Carl Bryan Cruz, Matt Ganuelas-Rosser and Kib Montalbo with aces Jayson Castro, Mikey Williams, RR Pogoy, Kelly Williams and Calvin Oftana out.
Center Poy Erram joined the list of “unavailable” players after spraining his ankle in TNT’s 90-99 loss to NorthPort last Friday.
The Sandy Arespacochaga-coached Tropang Giga are also banking on San Beda cagers Peter Alfaro, Clifford Jopia, Damie Cuntapay and JV Gallego to help out the vets. — Olmin Leyba
