MAGNOLIA is poised to claim the top spot, but claiming such a feat requires a great challenge against a hungry squad when it faces Blackwater today in the Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
Currently tied at No.1 with sister-team San Miguel Beer, the Hotshots, winners of five games in six outings, battle the skidding Elite (2-4) at 4:30 p.m.
In the second game, Rain or Shine (3-3) targets a share of fourth spot as it tackles Meralco (2-4) at 7 p.m.
Magnolia is on a tear with four consecutive victories—the last against TNT last Saturday, 91-83.
The huge win catapulted the Hotshots to the top of the 11-game eliminations as the Beermen got spanked by the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings, 96-100, the following day to see their unbeaten run end.
A victory would mean a treasure for the Hotshots as it brings them closer to the twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals.
But Head Coach Chito Victolero remains cautious—they are engaging a squad which is eagerly awaiting its first prey in three matches.
“It’s a very dangerous game for us because Blackwater is coming from a three-game losing streak,” Victolero said.
“We expect them to come hard and ready to bounce back in this game. We need to match the effort and aggressiveness of Blackwater from start to finish,” he added.
It will be a harder task for the coach who will miss the services of Paul Lee.
The 6-foot combo guard sprained his ankle against the KaTropa last Saturday. He has been averaging 17.5 poinst and 3.3 rebounds for the Hotshots.
The Elasto Painters, on the other hand, try to break away from a three-team logjam in the middle of the standings when they meet the Bolts in the main game.
Rain or Shine, Barangay Ginebra and GlobalPort share fifth to seventh places, while Meralco sits at ninth to 11th place with NLEX and Blackwater.