(c) PBA Media Bureau
The two best-of-three series will be Ginebra versus Magnolia and Blackwater versus Rain or Shine. Which team will win the first game?
Let us see.
BGSM-MAG
The story of their match in the elimination round was simple, Justin Brownlee was unstoppable. Now, one of the culprits was the inability of James Farr to defend the rim. Magnolia has replaced him with a more capable defender in Rakeem Christmas.
Now, the problem of Magnolia has shifted to the offense. Fortunately, they do have several local players who can provide points in bunches.
So, for Ginebra, their defensive stance will be much different than in their elimination game. One thing that they need to improve from their elimination game is the contribution of their bench.
Overall, I expect Magnolia to come up with different tactics in game 1 compared to the elimination game. But, I expect that the superiority of the talent of Ginebra will overcome any tactical ploy of the Hotshots.
So, I am going with Ginebra for game 1.
BWE-ROS
This is a very interesting match-up for me because it provides a good opportunity for the young stars of both teams to showcase what they are made of. I am talking about Bobby Ray Parks, Rey Nambatac and Javee Mocon.
Blackwater is an incredible scoring team. They averaged 106 points per game, third-best in the league. On the other hand, Elasto Painters finished the elimination round as the worst scoring team.
In their elimination game, Blackwater was limited to 98 points but they managed to win. In that game also, Ray Parks was pushed to 16 points. That means the Elasto Painters are capable of defending the Elite.
Although, the most important factor that could determine the result of game 1 will be the performance of Greg Smith. Rain or Shine has the personnel to man him but I do not think they have anyone who can stop him.
Thus, I am going with the Elite for game 1.
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