- San Miguel Beermen and Rain or Shine Elasto Painters try to bounce back in the PBA Philippine Cup semifinals Game 2 on Friday.
- TNT Tropang 5G and Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings escaped with Game 1 wins to get a headstart in their respective best-of-seven series.
June 27, Friday – Ninoy Aquino Stadium
- 5pm – Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings vs San Miguel Beermen
- 7:30pm – Rain or Shine Elasto Painters vs TNT Tropang 5G
June Mar Fajardo’s calf injury could factor in on how things could turn out on Friday as San Miguel Beer tries to get back at Barangay Ginebra and pull even in Game 2 of the PBA Philippine Cup semifinals.
The scene shifts to Ninoy Aquino Stadium for the 5 p.m. affair, with Fajardo expected to suit up after playing with an obvious limp two nights ago when the Beermen squandered an 18-point lead that paved the way for the Gin Kings to take a thrilling 73-71 win.
“The doctors have noted tightness in June Mar’s calf muscles,” team manager Gee Abanilla said, relaying the information he got from San Miguel’s physical therapist.
Jordan Heading could’ve taken the cautious route and sat out Game 1 of TNT’s PBA Philippine Cup semifinal series against Rain or Shine on Wednesday night.
But he recognized an opportunity when he saw it.
With the Tropang Giga chasing a third straight crown this season, the seasoned deadshot, who also served the Gilas Pilipinas program at one point, stepped into the moment at Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City and played through a nagging back problem to help the Grand Slam-seeking telco club gain a headstart in its Final Four duel against the hard-nosed, fast-rising Elasto Painters.
Heading finished with 11 points, three rebounds, and an assist in TNT’s 98-91 victory—a solid contribution for someone still managing a recurring injury that’s plagued him since his Converge days.
RR Pogoy was one of the reasons why TNT gained a head start over Rain or Shine in their best-of-seven semifinal series with a 98-91 victory on Wednesday at SM Mall of Asia Arena.
But for the Tropang 5G to once again beat the Elasto Painters and move another step closer toward completing a historic Grand Slam by way of the PBA Philippine Cup title, Pogoy said that his recent offensive burst won’t be enough.
“It would take a collective effort for us to win [this series],” Pogoy said after dropping 28 points in a series opener that had a lot of challenges for TNT.
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