The Barangay Ginebra San Miguel and the NorthPort Batang Pier set up a date this Sunday at the Big Dome. The Barangay are trying to climb their way up a hole, while the Batang Pier look to victimize the crowd favorite.

Catch this game live on Sunday,  July 17 at 6:30 pm, Manila time.

NorthPort Batang Pier (3-6)

Projected Starting Five:

• PG: Robert Bolick
• SG: Paolo Taha
• SF: Arwind Santos
• PF: Jamie Malonzo
• C: John Calma

After six consecutive losses, the Batang Pier finally shipped a victory, as they defeated the Phoenix LPG Fuel Masters on Thursday, 95-92. Robert Bolick returned from an ankle injury and scored 17 points with 8 assists and 5 rebounds, coming off the bench. Bolick might be inserted back into the starting lineup for this game against Ginebra, so that’s additional firepower to the first-five unit of NorthPort that didn’t look too shabby either in the showdown with Phoenix despite having Roi Sumang taking Bolick’s usual spot. 

Sumang, who fired 18 points with 8 assists and 5 rebounds against the Fuel Masters, remains to fly under the radar despite being among the chief reasons the Batang Pier have one of the best offenses in the PBA. NorthPort is second overall with 105.9 points per 100 possessions, while Sumang is third and second on the team with 14.7 points per game and a 124.2 offensive rating. With Sumang, Bolick, Jamie Malonzo, and Kevin Ferrer, NorthPort’s offense will be a handful for Ginebra, which isn’t looking so good at the moment.

Barangay Ginebra San Miguel (6-3)

Projected Starting Five:

PG: LA Tenorio
SG: Stanley Pringle
SG: Scottie Thompson
PF: Christian Standhardinger
C: Japeth Aguilar

Back-to-back blowout losses have the Barangay leaning on the ropes, though they are still fine with a 6-3 record. After losing to the TNT Tropang Giga (106-92), Ginebra was not able to right the ship and lost anew to the Meralco Bolts last Wednesday, 90-73. The Barangay’s offense has looked disjointed a bit of late, as evidenced by the fact that they shot just 40.5 FG% in the TNT game and just 36.7 FG% in the loss to the Bolts. For some perspective, Ginebra is shooting 42.6% from the field this conference, so far. 

But the good times might get rolling again for the Barangay, as they will be up against NorthPort’s Swiss cheese defense that is allowing 97.3 points per game. Only the going-nowhere Terrafirma Dyip are worse in that area than the Batang Pier. As for its own defense, Ginebra is allowing just 85.6 points per game and limits opponents to only 38.6 FG%.

PREDICTION:

Spread: Ginebra (-5.5) covers.

Over/Under: The Under (185) hits.