The NLEX Road Warriors and Rain or Shine Elasto Painters duke it out in a battle of two 2-0 teams with all-around talent and a thriving import.
Catch the game this Thursday, August 28th, at 7:30 PM.
NLEX Road Warriors (2-0)
Starting five:
- Robert Bolick
- Anthony Semerad
- Robbie Herndon
- Myke Henry
- Michael Miranda
The Road Warriors moved to 2-0 after a 100-95 win over the Phoenix Fuel Masters this past Sunday. It was a good follow up to their commanding, 17-point victory over the Blackwater Bossing a week ago.
Import Myke Henry has been huge thus far. He is averaging 34.0 points, 9.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 2.0 steals per game on 56.8% shooting in his hot start. It should be fun to watch him go against the ROS defense.
High-scoring, sweet-shooting Robert Bolick had a quiet night vs. Phoenix, going just 5-of-12 from the floor for 11 points. He knew how to contribute elsewhere, though, as he hauled in nine boards and dished out seven assists. We’ll see if he can bounce back Wednesday.
NLEX’s third scorer role is always interchanging, so as always, it can be Anthony Semerad, Rob Herndon, Dominic Fajardo, or maybe veteran PG Baser Amer, who’s also playing neatly in the conference.
Rain or Shine Elasto Painters (2-0)
Starting five:
- Aaron Fuller
- Caelan Tiongson
- Felix Lemetti
- Beau Belga
- Santi Santillan
Coach Yeng’s boys are coming off an ugly, defensively filled win, a shift from their prior debut victory. After a cruising 110-97 vs. Blackwater, they engaged in a low-scoring slugfest against Barangay Ginebra, and came out on top, 73-64. They limited the Gin Kings to 27.7% shooting, but they themselves at 27.9%, but hey, a win is a win.
With such a performance, expect ROS to return to form and be more efficient on offense. In doing so, import Aaron Fuller should be able to remain at the forefront. While on an off-night vs. BGK, he crashed the boards and collected 23 rebounds to go along 16 points. He’ll have a finer outing from the field Wednesday.
Rising rookies Caelan Tiongson and Felix Lemetti will maintain their spotlight as the coaching staff continue to mold them into the franchise’s next main men. Tiongson, in particular, looks to have the tools and the moxie to reach that next level.
The Elasto Painters defense will be intriguing yet again. They are in for a test vs. Bolick and Henry’s offensive punch, and we can be sure ROS will scheme aggressively.
PICKS:
Spread: ROS (-4)
Over/Under: Over (205.5)
