RAIN OR SHINE, MAGNOLIA STAKE WINNING STREAKS

RAIN or Shine and Magnolia Chicken Timplados stake their respective winning streaks over separate opponents as both teams try to improve their playoff chances in the PBA Season 48 Philippine Cup today, April 17, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Malate, Manila.

The Elasto Painters, winners of their last four games after a 0-4 start, clash with the NorthPort Batang Pier (4-3) at 4:30 p.m.

On the other hand, the Hotshots (3-2) have won back-to-back games and will take on the fast fading Blackwater Bossing (3-4) at 7:30 p.m.

Rain or Shine chalked up its fourth straight win after shooting down Terrafirma, 116-104, in Caloocan last Saturday.

The veteran smarts of big man Beau Belga, Leonard Santillan's solid offense and rebounding and Rain or Shine's steady backcourt have contributed to the team's current winning run.

The charges of coach Yeng Guiao hope they could sustain their winning ways against NorthPort, which is still smarting from back-to-back losses to Magnolia and Barangay Ginebra recently.

At 4-3, NorthPort enters the game tied with TNT at fifth to six spots in the standings.

Rain or Shine has climbed all the way up from last to seventh place at the moment and will look to sustain its fine showing by trying to add NorthPort as its newest victim.

As for the Hotshots, coach Chito Victolero expects his boys to stay hungry and start strong against a Bossing side that has lost its last four games after a 3-0 start.

"The PBA (games) are unpredictable already. You don't know which team will win," said Victolero. "If you're not prepared, even if you're the No.1 team or an elite team, you'll have a hard time winning. That's why we are instilling upon the players the proper mindset and compete starting in practice because that's something we will carry on to the games."

Blackwater absorbed its fourth straight defeat on Saturday after bowing to Rain or Shine, 110-103.

2024-04-17T01:38:37Z dg43tfdfdgfd