BAY Area coach Brian Goorjian holds TNT counterpart Chot Reyes in high regard.
“I’ve watched the Philippine national team and I’m looking forward to the game (against Reyes) and reacquainting (with him),” Goorjian said after his team held off Magnolia 95-89 four days ago.
“It’s an important game for us. But he’s a man we respect, and I like, and I know it’s a tough team to prepare,” he added.
But don’t expect Goorjian to tell his charges to keep their guard down against their struggling foes in their crucial duel in the mid-season tourney.
The pacesetting Dragons seek a twice-to-beat incentive when they collide with the Tropang Giga today in the PBA Philippine Cup at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig.
The match is at 3 p.m., with Bay Area trying to finish its eliminations campaign with a 10-2 mark and a win-once advantage in the quarterfinals.
TNT is hard-pressed to pull off a victory after losing its last two, including a sorry 85-89 defeat to Ginebra that dropped the Tropang Giga to 4-6 last Sunday.
Defending champion San Miguel Beer takes on an inspired Terrafirma side in the other game at 5:45.
Prolific import Myles Powell, Hayden Blankley, Songwei Zhu, Glen Yang, and Kobey Lam are expected to carry the fight for the Dragons.
TNT will parade a new reinforcement in Matt Mobley in lieu of the injured Cameron Oliver (sprained knee).
With Jayson Castro doubtful due to a sprained left ankle, the Tropang Giga will pin their hopes on Mikey Williams, Roger Pogoy, JP Erram, and Calvin Oftana.
“Every win now is a big factor, and it will bring us up to the standings,” Beermen assistant coach Jorge Gallent, who spoke in lieu of head coach Leo Austria, said. “Every game now will be a knockout game for us. We just got to play 48 minutes of San Miguel basketball.”
SMB missed the services of Austria in a 108-104 decision over Phoenix four days ago due to health and safety protocols.
Import Devon Scott, CJ Perez, Vic Manuel, Marcio Lassiter, and Mo Tautua will be counted upon by the Beermen in their bid to improve their 4-5 record.
The Dyip notched a breakthrough 124-114 overtime triumph over NLEX last Saturday that snapped a long and miserable 25-game losing streak dating back to the last Governors’ Cup.
Reinforcement Lester Prosper, Juami Tiongson, Gelo Alolino, and veteran Alex Cabagnot will show the way for Terrafirma.
