Games Wednesday(Smart Araneta Coliseum)4 p.m. — Terrafirma vs Phoenix8 p.m. — San Miguel Beer vs Rain or Shine
RAIN OR SHINE (ROS) looks to paint life into its dull PBA Season 48 Commissioner’s Cup campaign with a new import in Demetrius Treadwell.
The 6-foot-7 Mr. Treadwell, a veteran of the Israel league, takes over from DaJuan Summers, who failed to power the Elasto Painters to a single victory in four starts.
The University of Ohio product gets his baptism of fire tonight against San Miguel Beer or SMB (2-1) in the main game of a double-header at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The hope is for Mr. Treadwell to provide the offensive and rebounding threat lacking in ROS’ first four games with Summers.
“We have seven games left and we need to win five of the seven just to be in a playoff for the playoffs,” coach Yeng Guiao said.
Mr. Guiao’s youth-laden crew led by Andrei Caracut and Santi Santillan and his debuting reinforcement are ranged against the SMB’s Ivan Aska, June Mar Fajardo and CJay Perez who have won their last two games after dropping their season opener.
Game time is 8 p.m. after the 4 p.m. curtain-raiser between Phoenix (3-1) and Terrafirma (2-2).
The hot-starting Fuel Masters are hunting for their third consecutive win, which will get them solo second behind idle frontrunner Magnolia (4-0). “We’re happy right now that we’re 3-1 but you can’t go to the playoffs with three wins. So the work to get better still continues,” said Phoenix tactician Jamike Jarin.
The Fuel Masters lean on import Jonathan Williams, veterans Jason Perkins, Jayjay Alejandro and Javee Mocon and young guns Tyler Tio and Ricci Rivero versus a Terrafirma side bringing back three key players from sick bay.
Dyip coach John Cardel said they reactivated reinforcement Thomas de Thaey (groin), ace scorer Juami Tiongson (flu) and promising freshman Kemark Cariño (flu) after missing them in their 93-133 beatdown at the hands of TNT a week ago. — Olmin Leyba