FRESH from an initial triumph, Barangay Ginebra hits the road, taking on NorthPort in a Batangas City stop by the PBA on Tour Saturday.
The Gin Kings and the Batang Pier slug it out at 5 p.m. at the Batangas City Coliseum, with the latter seeking to hit the .500 mark at 2-2 and the former out to step up their game further, going for a third straight win after a 0-2 start in the preseason series presented by Arena Plus and sponsored by Bingo Plus.
John Pinto fired 22 points with Aljon Mariano, Raymond Aguilar and Jason David providing significant support as the Kings drubbed the Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters, 95-89, to finally hit the win column after back-to-back defeats.
Minus coach Tim Cone and core players Scottie Thompson, Jamie Malonzo, Japeth Aguilar, Christian Standhardinger and Stanley Pringle, assistant coach Richard del Rosario has reserves and apprentices at his disposal in this preseason event.
But for guys like Aguilar, David and Kim Aurin, it's a good time to show what they can do given the opportunity. And these players have had their double-digit performances.
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The Kings try to get in the middle of the pack as they go for a second straight win in the Tour's Batangas visit.
However, on the other side of the floor is the NorthPort team which is hot on a two-game roll.
With firepower from their wing guys led by Arvin Tolentino and Joshua Munzon, the Batang Pier turned back the Blackwater Bossing, 112-95, on June 9.
Tolentino drained four treys and a total of 22 points, Munzon tossed in 19 markers while Paul Zamar, John Michael Calma and Paolo Taha chipped in double-digit outputs as the Batang Pier notched a second straight win after an earlier triumph over TNT Tropang Giga (99-90).
Against TNT, coach Boni Tan's troops were paced by Munzon with 16, Michael Ayaay with 15, Zamar with 13 and rookie aspirant Fran Yu with 11.
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But the Batang Pier had had a faltering start in the preseason, first yielding to Meralco, 89-97, and to San Miguel Beer, 75-87. (SB)
