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Friday, March 29, 2024

Cignal, CEU start PBA D-League title clash

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AND then, there were two.

Cignal HD and Centro Escolar University wage war for all the marbles as they dispute the 2017 PBA D-League Foundation Cup title starting today Tuesday at Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig.

But Hawkeyes coach Boyet Fernandez already has a dilemma on his hands, with Raymar Jose unavailable due to his obligations with Gilas Pilipinas in the 2017 Southeast Asian Games.

“Losing Raymar during the Finals is a tough one, but we as a team understand that SEA Games basketball gold is very important to our country,” he said.

Without Jose manning the paint, Cignal will bank on Jason Perkins and its bevy of snipers in Pamboy Raymundo, Jonathan Uyloan, and Byron Villarias to get the job done and gain a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three semifinals.

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Fernandez, though, is wary of the threat of CEU in the titular duel, especially with the way the Scorpions upset Flying V in their semifinals series.

“We know that CEU is a very good team which is well-coached, and matching up with them without Raymar is a tough one. But we will find a way to limit (Rod) Ebondo,” he said. “I’m also worried about their guards in the likes of (Aaron) Jeruta, (Orlan) Wamar, and (JK) Casiño, so we really have to bring our defensive mentality if we want to win Game 1 and the series.”

On the other hand, CEU coach Yong Garcia just wants this dream run for his crew to continue.

“Wala namang nag-akala na makakaabot kami rito. Hindi naman masamang subukan kaya sabi ko sa players ko, we just try to stay focused and stick to our game plan,” he said.

Tip-off is at 5 p.m.

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