Photo by Nuki Sabio, PBA
MANILA—The two teams that dominated for most of the conference cross paths for the first time in the PBA D-League Foundation Cup Finals today.
After cruising in the classification and playoff rounds, NLEX and Cebuana Lhuillier collide in Game 1 of their best-of-three series at 3 p.m. at the FilOil-Flying V Arena in San Juan.
The Road Warriors and the Gems expect a tight duel as both their lineups feature a mix of collegiate standouts and experienced players.
“The team is in high spirits,” said NLEX coach Boyet Fenandez. “Three-fourths of our job is done. We’re confident that we can match up with them well.”
A preseason pick just like the Gems, the Road Warriors have been relying on the strong plays of Calvin Abueva, Eric Salamat, Ian Sangalang, Ogie Menor and Filipino-American Clifford Hodge.
“I think we can match up with them,” said Gems coach Luigi Trillo. “They have their strengths and we have ours. It will be a great series.”
Allein Maliksi, Pari Llagas and Benedict Fernandez banner the Gems along with Kevin Alas and Marvin Hayes.
Both the Gems and the Road Warriors topped their respective groups in the classification phase with similar 5-1 records to earn outright berths in the Last 8.