Game today:
(Smart Araneta Coliseum)
12:00 p.m. — Marinero vs EcoOil-La Salle
Marinerong Pilipino and EcoOil-La Salle begin their 2022 Philippine Basketball Association D-League Aspirants’ Cup Finals showdown on Sunday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Both the Skippers and the Green Archers are hungry for glory as they try to draw first blood in their best-of-three affair at 12 p.m.
For Marinerong Pilipino, it’s all about redemption after finishing as bridesmaids in the 2019 Foundation Cup to BRT Sumisip-St. Clare.
“We’ve learned from experience and we don’t want a repeat of that,” Marinerong Pilipino head coach Yong Garcia said.
“The boys are hungry for a win.”
Marinerong Pilipino earned the finals ticket after repulsing top pick Apex Fuel-San Sebastian, 69-64 last Wednesday.
Magnificent all conference long, Juan Gomez de Liano will look to replicate his excellence in the two team’s first faceoff back in 12 July where he tallied a triple-double in the Skippers’ 84-64 rout.
But this is a different EcoOil-La Salle squad, one that has gotten a big jolt upon the arrivals of Kevin Quiambao, Schonny Winston, Evan Nelle, and Mark Nonoy as seen in its dominant 97-74 Game 3 thrashing of Adalem Construction-St. Clare.
“They’re always a tough team to face, but we have to be prepared,” warned coach Derick Pumaren. “Whatever it takes, we will continue what we have to do.”