NLEX guns for No. 7 vs lowly Cagayan

NLEX GUNS for a seventh straight win today when it clashes with the Cagayan Rising Suns in the PBA D-League Foundation Cup at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig.

Game time is at 4 p.m. with the Road Warriors sealing their entry to the semifinals with a victory over the struggling Rising Suns.

Junior Powerade and Cafe France collide at 2 p.m. in a battle of teams still nursing slim hopes of making the playoffs.

The Tigers own a 2-4 card in a tie with Boracay Rum and Erase Plantcenta for the last quarterfinal seat. Junior Powerade, though, has lost its last three games.

Holding a 1-4 record, Cafe France, which lost its four games, needs to sweep its remaining games to remain in playoff contention.

The Road Warriors have coped well with the absence of standouts Ian Sangalang and Calvin Abueva.

Turning his game up a notch in Abueva’s absence is reed-thin Fil-Am power forward Cliff Hodge, who starred with clutch baskets in the 85-76 win over Erase Plantcenta last Thursday. Hodge buried a triple with 38 seconds remaining to snuff out the Erasers’ comeback bid.

“We still don’t have Calvin and Ian so our mindset is to start strong,” said NLEX coach Boyet Fernandez.

Cagayan remains in search of its first win after six defeats. Cedelf P. Tupas