UPDATE: THIS GAME HAS BEEN MOVED TO 4:35 PM.

Greg Slaughter has been a pleasant surprise this season for the NorthPort Batang Pier, who look to snatch their second win of the 2021 PBA Philippine Cup conference this Sunday against the TNT Tropang Giga. The Tropang Giga, on the other hand, will look to keep their record unblemished.

Catch this game live on August 1 at 4:35 pm, Manila time.

The NorthPort Batang Pier (1-3)

Projected Starting Five:

  • PG: Robert Bolick
  • SG: Jerrick Balanza
  • SF: Jamie Malonzo
  • PF: Sidney Onwubere
  • C: Greg Slaughter

Let the Greg Slaughter revenge tour continue. Although the Batang Pier have lost their last two games, Slaughter has been showing so much promise for his new team. 

The seven-foot former Ateneo Blue Eagle made his debut for NorthPort in an 88-86 loss to the San Miguel Beermen wherein he posted 23 points and grabbed 17 rebounds while matched up against Junemar Fajardo. Then he scored 16 points and pulled down 14 rebounds in an 87-85 loss to the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel last Friday. 

NorthPort losing by a total of just four points against those two top PBA Philippine Cup title contenders speaks a lot about the quality of this team. Slaughter and Robert Bolick form a solid inside-outside duo for Blackwater, who is getting 18.25 points per game from the former San Beda Red Lions star.

Slaughter’s rebounding is also igniting NorthPort’s fastbreak attack, as the Batang Pier are currently No. 1 this conference with 13.5 points in transition per contest.

The TNT Tropang Giga (2-0)

Projected Starting Five:

  • PG: Jayson Castro 
  • SG: RR Pogoy
  • SF: Kelly Williams
  • PF: Troy Rosario
  • C: John Paul Erram

What rust? The Tropang Giga returned from their layoff and scored a nice 79-69 win against the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters on Friday to remain undefeated in the 2021 PBA Philippine Cup. 

The Tropang Giga were piping hot from deep against Rain or Shine, betraying expectations that they were going to come out cold. TNT hit nine threes on 31 3-point attempts, successfully atoning for its 3-of-28 shooting from downtown in the win over the TerraFirma Dyip.  

Troy Rosario scored 13 points and recorded 14 rebounds off the bench for TNT. Rosario could get the start this Sunday, though, along with JP Erram to help the Tropang Giga contain Gregzilla. 

RR Pogoy played 32 minutes against Rain or Shine and dropped 13 points but missed all four of his 3-point shots. He’s not going to be that cold from long range, so expect him to hit those treys soon. The other young guns are also starting to show up for TNT, with rookies Mikey Williams and Franky Johnson combining for 14 points against the Elasto Painters.

PREDICTION:

NorthPort has beaten the spread in its last two games with closes losses at the hands of SMB and Ginebra. However, I’m taking TNT here to win by at least eight points.