Café France coach hoping for a miracle vs NLEX; Fruitas faces Big Chill

MANILA, Philippines—Groping for form, Fruitas hopes to get it going when it faces Big Chill in the PBA D-League Aspirants Cup Tuesday at the Trinity University of Asia gym.

But the Shakers might have to double their efforts once again if center Ola Adeogun still won’t be available due to an injury.

“He’s is still questionable,” said Fruitas head coach Nash Racela.

Fruitas, which is in seventh place with a 2-3 record, has to start padding on to its wins if it wants to improve its position for quarterfinals slot.

“We treat every game a must-win to have a chance at the playoffs,” Racela said. “Good thing we had a couple of good practices to work on ourselves.”

The Superchargers, on the other hand, are looking to rebound from their 24-point defeat against defending champion NLEX.

“The team’s morale is intact and the players know their capabilities and ability to bounce back after a loss. We just have to give more emphasis on our defensive game plan against Fruitas,” said Big Chill coach Robert Sison.

Meanwhile, Cafe France head coach Egay Macaraya can only hope for a miracle as the Bakers aim to stop the streaking Road Warriors in the first game.

“The team is dreaming of a merry, merry Christmas. Miracles always happen every day and especially during the Christmas season,” said Macaraya.

Café France, which is at 3-2, is coming off an 86-78 win over Informatics but will definitely have its hands full against NLEX.

“Our motivation factor is making history. But the chances of making the next round depends on the results of our games against NLEX and Blackwater Sports,” Macaraya said. The Bakers play the Elite on Dec. 20.

The Road Warriors, who boosted their outright semifinals bid after beating Cagayan in their previous game, will put their historic 24-game winning streak on the line.

“Café France may be in the middle of the standings but in terms of statistics they are in the top 3,” NLEX head coach Boyet Fernandez noted.

NLEX, the lone unbeaten team this conference at 7-0, hasn’t lost since the semifinals last January 30.