The Converge FiberXers and the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel clash in the second game of Sunday’s PBA schedule at the PhilSports Arena down in Pasig City. Will Converge snap its skid? Or, will Ginebra collect another win?
Catch this game live on Sunday, March 5 at 6:45 pm, Manila time.
Converge FiberXers (6-4)
Projected Starting Five:
- PG: Alec Stockton
- SG: Jeron Teng
- SF: Barkley Ebona
- PF: Jamaal Franklin
- C: Justin Arana
Converge has lost multiple games in a row for the first time this conference. After losing to the Phoenix LPG Fuel Masters (106-103) on Feb. 26, the FiberXers suffered a 132-129 loss to the Meralco Bolts last Friday.
They will now look to shake off their struggles this Sunday, and seeing them score nearly 130 points, albeit in a loss, during their last game is a good sign still for the FiberXers, who are one of the highest-scoring teams in the PBA. So far in the conference, Converge is second overall with an average of 114.6 points per game. Jamaal Franklin will be a nightmare to defend for Ginebra, as he is dropping 37.3 points per game and had just exploded for 57 points in the Meralco game.
Barangay Ginebra San Miguel (6-2)
Projected Starting Five:
- PG: Scottie Thompson
- SG: Stanley Pringle
- SF: Jamie Malonzo
- PF: Justin Brownlee
- C: Christian Standhardinger
Ginebra has nicely moved on from a recent two-game skid, as the Barangay have won three games in a row heading into this Sunday matchup. In their most recent outing, the Barangay toppled Phoenix, 109-89.
Christian Stanhardinger has stepped up big time for Ginebra amid the absence of Japeth Aguilar. He’s also coming off a sensational 28-point, 12-rebound performance in the win over Phoenix to raise his conference averages to 22.7 and 9.2 rebounds per game. Meanwhile, Justin Brownlee, Scottie Thompson, and Jamie Malonzo are the other top gunners Ginebra can expect to deliver on both ends of the floor. Defensively, the Barangay can take advantage of Phoenix’s poor ball security, as the FiberXers are last in the league with a turnover rate of 19.1%.
PREDICTION:
Spread: Ginebra (-2.5) covers the spread.
Over/Under: The total (215.0) hits the Over.