Chris Lutz of San Miguel. PBA IMAGE by Nuki Sabio
MANILA, Philippines —Kevin Jones plays his second game in the PBA Wednesday as he tries to lead San Miguel Beer back on the winning track against a formidable foe in Rain or Shine in the Commissioner’s Cup eliminations at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Jones, the highly touted replacement for Josh Boone who went undefeated in two games for the Beermen, will lead San Miguel against the Elasto Painters in the only game slated at 8 p.m.
Rain or Shine mastered the favored Petron Blaze (now San Miguel) and Fajardo in five games of their best-of-seven Final Four clash in the Philippine Cup, sparking a coaching reshuffle in the San Miguel Corp. franchise.
The Beermen are now being handled by new coaches Biboy Ravanes and American Todd Purves.
Jones debuted in a narrow loss to Talk ‘N Text last week and will again be up for a tough match against the hard-defending Painters led by import Alexander McClean.
Rain or Shine, a legitimate league powerhouse, boasts Paul Lee and Gabe Norwood, former Rookies of the Year, and the streak-shooting Jeff Chan.
The 6-foot-7 Jones, who went undrafted in the NBA rookie pool two years ago, scored 35 points and had 14 rebounds against the Tropang Texters but was on the bench during a crucial stretch because of foul trouble.
Another man who will play just his second game in the conference is Fajardo, the 6-foot-10 San Miguel cornerstone who also had his struggles against the Texters.
His ankle healed, Fajardo looked a tad slower than usual during the Talk ‘N Text game.
But being healthier after a five-day rest, Fajardo and Jones could be the 1-2 punch that Rain or Shine will be hard-pressed to stop.
After winning their first game last Saturday against Alaska, Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao said that to be competitive in this tournament, they would need McClean to score in the 20s while helping control the shaded lane for the Painters.
Beau Belga and rookie Raymond Almazan will try to help McClean do the job underneath and prevent Fajardo from dominating the lanes.