BARANGAY Ginebra and Blackwater clash in a duel of raging teams, both eyeing win No. 4 in the PBA Governors' Cup Group B play at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium Tuesday.
The Kings and the Bossing face off at 7:30 p.m. in an interesting rematch following their previous tiff where debuting PBA import George King powered Blackwater to a 95-88 stunner.
King, a prized import with stints with the Phoenix Suns and the Dallas Mavericks, sizzled with 33 points and 19 rebounds then.
And he has sustained his romp in the local pro league, getting the Bossing into contention at 3-3 with two more wins over the Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters, 123-111, and the NLEX Road Warriors, 110-109.
They're determined to get going.
"We're fortunate to have won the last three games but we feel like our backs are still against the wall and we need to keep pushing," said Blackwater coach Jeff Cariaso.
But from their seven-point loss to the Bossing, the Gin Kings have strung up their first back-to-back wins in the season, first trouncing the Road Warriors, 119-91, then the Fuel Masters, 110-101.
And thus, both sides ride strong winning momentum going to the rematch, with a lot at stake in the race for the top four in their group.
For five of the six teams in Group B are closely bunched together with pacesetting Rain or Shine (4-1) slightly ahead of Barangay Ginebra (3-2) and San Miguel Beer (3-2) which are then closely followed by Blackwater (3-3) and NLEX (3-3). The only team left way behind is Phoenix (0-5).
Surely on top of the board in Ginebra's pre-game dugout talk will be King.
The Blackwater prized find has been on a great ride, so much so that he's also made the players around him better.
On a high are the likes of Sedrick Barefield, Troy Rosario, Christian David, RK Ilagan and Justin Chua.
Ginebra, however, has also gathered steam, now drawing much lift from new recruits Stephen Holt and RJ Abarrientos. (SB)
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