The semifinal series between the TNT Tropang Giga and the Magnolia Hotshots is now all tied up after two games. After this Sunday’s pivotal Game 3, which team enters a week with the series lead?

Catch this game live on Sunday,  August 7 at 4:30 pm, Manila time.

TNT Tropang Giga (1-1)

Projected Starting Five:

  • PG: Kib Montalbo
  • SG: Mike Williams
  • SF: RR Pogoy
  • PF: Kelly Williams
  • C: Troy Rosario

Mikey Williams is proving just yet again that when he’s on, nobody in the PBA can slow him down, as he finished with 28 points on 9/19 shooting with five 3-points on 11 attempts, albeit in a 92-88 loss to Magnolia. Despite TNT falling short of successfully pulling off a stunning comeback, the Tropang Giga, behind Williams’ hot hands, showed that they are a team that has the capacity to break away with a huge lead or cut down big deficits in just a short span, and that’s what makes TNT so dangerous and hard to fade for bettors regardless of the outcome in the previous contest. 

The Tropang Giga are going to get what they usually do from Williams, so guys like RR Pogoy and Jayson Castro will have to keep up. Pogoy, in particular, scored just 11 points in Game 2 after mustering 23 in the series opener. 

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Magnolia Timpados Hotshots (1-1)

Projected Starting Five:

  • PG: Paul Lee
  • SG: Jio Jalalon
  • SF: Calvin Abueva
  • PF: Rome Dela Rosa
  • C: Ian Sangalang

Although the Hotshots are yet to solve Williams, their defense sure clicked a whole lot better in Game 2 than in Game 1. After all, they held TNT to 20 points fewer in Game 2, with Magnolia.In Game 2, the Hotshots made TNT bleed more for points, as they held Williams and company to only  70 shot attempts. In the series opener, the Tropang Giga got 81 attempts from the floor. 

Just slowing the game down is a great tactic for Magnolia in this series, considering that the Tropang Giga are second in the league this conference in pace. The Hotshots, on the other hand, are last in that department. It’s also a terrific sign for Magnolia that the duo of Ian Sanggalang and Calvin Abueva is having a better series so far compared to TNT’s tandem of Troy Rosario and JP Erram.

PREDICTION:

Spread: TNT (-5.5) covers.

Over/Under:  Taking the Over (184.0) for this game.

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