League leaders led by Wangs Basketball @26-Letran take on different assignments to stay ahead of the pack in an explosive triple-header of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) D-League Aspirants’ Cup for its second week at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig.
The Knights plunge to action at 1 p.m. against AMA Online with hopes of quickly following up their 94-87 victory over the Adalem Construction-St. Clare Saints in the opener for a 2-0 card.
Centro Escolar University (CEU), fresh from 101-82 blowout win over AMA, seeks the same mission at 3 p.m. against the vengeful Saints.
But all eyes are on EcoOil-La Salle and Marinerong Pilipino in a gigantic duel featuring top contenders at 11 a.m.
Bannered by bruising brothers Michael and Ben Phillips, the Green Archers came off a 112-82 rout of the Builders Warehouse-Santo Tomas while the Skippers bested Apex Fuel-San Sebastian, 86-74, behind ace guards Jollo Go and Juan Gomez de Liaño.
Their convincing victories should be enough indication for an expected gritty battle with the survivor gaining early leeway in the eight-team D-League cast.
“It will be a really exciting game. Malakas ‘yung mga kalaban natin, but I’m confident in our preparation. We’ll just treat it like a championship game,” answered La Salle coach Derrick Pumaren.
Meanwhile, big man Louie Sangalang was hailed as the first Cignal Play-PBA Press Corps Player of the Week after 21-point, 11-rebound double-double in Letran’s win despite the absence of aces Rhenz Abando and Fran Yu. — John Bryan Ulanday