(UPDATE) TNT guns for its second straight victory and the solo leadership when it battles unpredictable Titan Ultra as action in the PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup continues on Friday at the Ynares Sports Center in Antipolo City.
Game time is at 7:30 p.m.
The Tropang 5G booked their second straight win with a 110-103 victory against the Converge FiberXers in the first out-of-town game of the season last Saturday in Vigan, Ilocos Sur.
Entering the match, TNT is in a four-way logjam on top of the team standings with Converge, Magnolia and NLEX, all with identical 2-1 records. The Meralco Bolts trail closely behind at 3-2.
On the other hand, the Giant Risers have dropped their last two games since debuting in the league with a 100-96 upset of the Bolts.
Titan Ultra sustained back-to-back defeats at the hands of the FiberXers (92-129) and the Magnolia Hotshots (119-127) in the absence of the “Beast” Calvin Abueva.
Abueva hurt his hamstring during the early goings of their game against Converge.
TNT is on a mission to sustain its gain from Season 49, having won back-to-back titles in the Governors’ Cup and Commissioner’s Cup, before falling short and bowing to San Miguel, 4-2, in the Philippine Cup Finals. That finals loss denied TNT a chance to win a rare grand slam in the PBA.
The Tropang 5G have acquired veterans Jio Jalalon and Kevin Ferrer in the offseason, which boosted the team’s depth.
Returning also from groin injury last season is another veteran in Rey Nambatac, who averaged 11.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 4.3 assists with TNT this conference.
As usual, TNT can expect the steady scoring presence of RR Pogoy and Calvin Oftana, who have served as coach Chot Reyes’ 1-2 punch.
Ageless Kelly Williams, along with Glen Khobuntin and Simon Enciso are also solid contributors for TNT, whose only loss so far happened at the hands of Ginebra, 77-92, last week.
Meanwhile, Rain or Shine looks to bounce back strong against Blackwater when they face off at 5:15 p.m.
The Elasto Painters absorbed a 93-111 shellacking at the hands of the Beermen last week.
Rain or Shine shot just 29-of-92 from the field, good for only 31 percent against San Miguel, while the team also struggled from the three-point arc as evidenced by its 9-of-48 shooting clip.
The Elasto Painters will play a Bossing side that is also smarting from a 96-105 loss to Meralco in their previous game.
Sedrick Barefield played his first game this season despite nursing a shoulder injury as the prolific Filipino American guard dropped 34 points, while getting big contribution from fellow backcourt mate RK Ilagan, who scored 22 points in the loss.