MAGNOLIA squares off with Terrafirma—a team that hasn’t won in 17 games bridging two seasons—at the resumption of the Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup Wednesday at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
Could it be a breeze for the Hotshots who’re playing their first game in the reinforced conference? Don’t tell that to their coach Chito Victolero.
“They [Dyip] haven’t won since the last conference so we’re expecting them to come out really aggressive,” Victolero told BusinessMirror on Tuesday.
Victolero has the materials and the reputation—his and the team’s—to cruise past Terrafirma. But they don’t want to get caught napping by the Dyip.
“We’re hoping that we’re not going to be that team—that team that will give them their first victory,” Victolero stressed.
Talk about lady luck and a bad hair day and the Hotshots just would be wanting to be in their elements for a hot start in the Commissioner’s Cup.
“Our team so far is intact with the same local players plus a Serbian-American import,” he said.
The match is set at 3 p.m. after which Barangay Ginebra San Miguel—with resident import Justin Brownlee—opens its own campaign at 5:45 p.m. against Rain or Shine.
A must-see for coach Tim Cone and the Gin Kings Jamie Malonzo, their athletic new recruit from NorthPort, who’ll be paraded alongside Christian Standhardinger, Scottie Thompson, Japeth Aguilar and Stanley Pringle.
Rain or Shine and returning coach Yeng Guiao are hoping to bounce back from a frustrating 90-96 defeat to Guiao’s former team, NLEX, last Wednesday.
Import Steve Taylor, showing great ball handling and athleticism, finished with 21 points, 12 rebounds and four rebounds but came out short against the Road Warriors.
Victolero has his confidence on 6-foot-10 Nikola Rakocevic, who he described as “a good defensive player with a lot of experience in various overseas leagues.”
“He’s adecent shooter beyond the three-point zone besides being a post player,” Victolero said. “He’s been practicing with us for three weeks so chemistry won’t be a problem.”
“The only problem is Terrafirma’s hunger for its first victory,” he stressed.
The Dyip have lost 17 straight game since the Governors’ Cup last season. They took a 110-124 beating from Converge last week, despite import Lester Prosper’s 43 points and 25 rebounds.