One side is determined to bounce back from a heartbreaker the last time out and the other is aching to check a lonely 0-3 season start.
Two teams are clashing both with a great resolve to come out on top as Barangay Ginebra and Rain or Shine duke it out in the PBA Commissioner's Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum Friday.
A consolation for the Gin Kings in their 93-91 loss to the Magnolia Hotshots Sunday was some justice in their cry for a non-call in the closing seconds of this Manila Clasico.
PBA commissioner Willie Marcial on Monday suspended the game officials who officiated the game where a controversial non-call led to the Hotshots' escape win.
However, still rankling is the very thought of the Gin Kings blowing away a huge 26-point lead.
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Tony Bishop and his teammates look to pick up the pieces of that shattering defeat as they seek to tie the TNT Tropang Giga and the Meralco Bolts at 2-1.
Rain or Shine, meanwhile, hopes to finally get things together and hit the win-column after successive losses to Meralco (107-102), NorthPort (113-103) and Phoenix Super LPG (99-98).
In a short one-round-robin elims, coach Yeng Guiao is realistic they're now in deep trouble, and he has hinted at taking drastic measures, including an import change.
At posting time, there's no official announcement yet, though, on a replacement to DaJuan Summers.
But Guiao said Summers knows the situation.
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"We already talked and maybe we can talk again and make him realize the window for us to get into the next round is getting smaller," said Guiao after the loss to Phoenix.
A bigger concern for Guiao is the fact that they haven't played yet the league's big guns.
Now comes Barangay Ginebra, the titleholder which looks good with Bishop in the absence of Justin Brownlee.
"Ang problema namin, 'yung malalakas na team na ang makakalaban namin. That makes it even more difficult 'yung situation namin," Guiao said.(SB)
