CaféFrance undergoes a litmus test when it battles Racal on Thursday in a marquee matchup in the Philippine Basketball Association Developmental League Foundation Cup at the JCSGO gym in Cubao, Quezon City.
The two teams are gunning for the early lead after opening their campaigns with blowout wins. Café France demolished Topstar Mindanao, 89-64, last Thursday while Racal manhandled AMA, 100-67, last Tuesday.
Café France coach Egay Macaraya said the early meeting between the two teams should be a good test of character for the Bakers, who are seeking a title repeat.
“We’ll be playing each other twice in the eliminations so I guess playing [Racal] this early works well for us both ways,” Macaraya said. “Whatever the result, it will give us time to focus on improving and adjusting on concerns that needs to be addressed.” As for the Tile Masters, the 4 p.m. encounter is an ideal challenge to display their prowess.
“I really felt bad about our early exit last conference. So I kept telling the guys to always play with the same level of intensity every game and to not be reliant on individual play,” Racal coach Caloy Garcia said.
The Tile Masters didn’t seem to miss guard Jio Jalalon and center Jason Perkins in their first game but their absence will surely affect Racal in the long haul. Jalalon (Arellano University) and Perkins (De La Salle) opted to skip this conference to play for their respective schools.
Phoenix Petroleum also seeks a second straight win when it plays Topstar Mindanao in the first game at 2 p.m.
The Accelerators got their campaign going by clobbering the Tanduay Rhum Masters (1-1), 98-79, two nights ago. With their talent and bench depth, the reigning Aspirants’ Cup champions are expected to have another walk in the park against the ragtag Aguilas.
“I’m having a good time watching these players during our practice session. They’re having fund and they have embraced our philosophy of trust. Still, I always remind the guys to always treat our opponents with respect, whoever they maybe,” Phoenix coach Eric Gonzales said.
Ed Daquioag tallied 22 points on 8 of 11 shooting against the Rhum Masters on Tuesday and he, along with Mike Tolmia (15 points) and Roger Pogoy (12 points), remains a concern for the Aguilas.