Gems battle Waves for solo D-League lead
MANILA, Philippines—Cebuana Lhuillier shoots for the solo lead against unpredictable Boracay Rum in the PBA D-League Aspirants Cup Monday at the San Juan Gym.
Although assured of at least a quarterfinal berth with a 6-1 card, the Gems hope to further boost their outright semifinal bid in the 4 p.m. duel against the Waves, who are in the middle of the pack at 4-3.
The Gems boast a solid lineup led by Vic Manuel, but coach Luigi Trillo said the Waves remain as one of the unpredictable teams in the league.
“You never know what to expect with coach Lawrence (Chongson),” said Trillo. “He can zone, man or trap. My concern is that they are a very good fast-breaking team. They frustrate teams with their tenacity on defense.”
Café France, holding a 2-3 record, tries to lift its own quarterfinal hopes against the winless PC Gilmore at 2 p.m.
Trillo expects the Gems to do better at the boards with the 6-foot-7 duo of Yousef Taha and Raymond Almazan back in their roster.
“For us to control Boracay Rum, we need to win the rebounding department,” said Trillo as the Gems try to extend their winning run to four.
Taha, the Filipino-Palestininan standout from Mapua, just got his clearance from the Bureau of Immigration and Deportation, while Almazan missed the Gems’ last three games as he suited up for Letran
The Waves, sharing fifth spot with the idle Pacific Pipes, also remain in the running for the quarterfinal bonus.
Only the top two teams at the end of the eliminations will go straight to the semifinals, while the third and fourth placers will earn the twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinal playoffs.
