The Barangay Ginebra San Miguel and the NLEX Road Warriors cross paths for the first time this conference, each looking to surpass the other in the standings. Who takes the win this Wednesday night at Mall of Asia Arena?
Catch this game live on Wednesday, June 22 at 6 pm, Manila time.
The Barangay Ginebra San Miguel (2-1)
Projected Starting Five:
- PG: LA Tenorio
- SG: Stanley Pringle
- SG: Scottie Thompson
- PF: Christian Standhardinger
- C: Japeth Aguilar
Ginebra is coming off its first loss of the conference, as the Barangay fell prey to bitter rival Magnolia Hotshots in last Sunday’s Manila Clasico to the tune of an 89-84 score. That was a missed opportunity for the Barangay to net their third win in a row to start the 2023 PBA Philippine Cup conference especially because Magnolia didn’t have Paul Lee in that contest.
If anything, that could be a wake-up call for the reigning Governors Cup champions, ahead of their meeting with NLEX this Wednesday. Speaking of which, Ginebra has won three of its last four games against the Road Warriors. Jeffrei Chan exploded for 20 points the last time these teams squared off – a 112-93 Ginebra win last March – but it’s the likes of Scottie Thompson, Japeth Aguilar, and Christian Standhardinger, who are expected to do most of the heavy lifting this Wednesday against an NLEX defense that has the fourth-highest defensive rating in the conference.
The NLEX Road Warriors (2-1)
Projected Starting Five:
- PG: Kevin Alas
- SG: Kris Rosales
- SF: Calvin Oftana
- PF: Marion Magat
- C: Justin Chua
The Road Warriors are back to their winning ways. After suffering a 100-92 loss to the San Miguel Beermen, NLEX recovered right away and defeated the TNT Tropang Giga last Thursday, 90-89. Calvin Oftana led the way for NLEX in that game with 20 points, while JR Quinahan and Kevin Alas scored 18 and 16 points, respectively. The Road Warriors are being carried by a high-octane offense that has allowed them to score no fewer than 92 points in two of their three games so far this season.
Moreover, NLEX is fourth overall this conference with an offensive rating of 103.0 and second in pace (77.4). Alas, Oftana, and Trollano propel NLEX’s attack, with Oftana leading the team with 18.7 points per contest. Oftana could be a mismatch problem for the Barangay because of his blend of size, mobility, and range, while Quinahan and Justin Chua are both floor-stretching bigs who can open up the middle for Alas, Trollano, and Kris Rosales among others.
PREDICTION:
Spread: NLEX covers the (+4.5) spread.
Over/Under: Taking the Over (180.5).
