Petron Blaze Seeks To Tie For First Place Against Barako Bull

WHAT THIS GAME MEANS

For Petron, tying up the top. For Barako Bull, steering out of traffic.

The Boosters have clinched their quarterfinals berth. But that doesn’t satisfy them nor their fans. After the Christmas day beating from sister team Ginebra, Petron has an extra motivation of getting back what they feel is theirs – the top seed. And that’s what will drive them for the rest of the eliminations.

Barako Bull, on the other hand, is part of the traffic jam from 5th seed to 9th, where all teams have a 4-7 record. A win tonight will tow them out of that confusion, at least for the mean time.

WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR

Is June Mar going to play?

This has been a question that popped up every game since his injury. There was no timetable that said he was going to be out for a certain period of time. So it leaves everyone guessing every single game. The past two games, he sat on the bench in his jersey. I swear, on Christmas day against Ginebra, I had a feeling he was suddenly gonna pop out of the bench, surprise everyone, and it was Petron’s little Christmas gift to the fans. But of course, that was only a scenario inside a Petron fan’s head.

It needs not to be said that Fajardo is one of the strongest forces in the PBA today. And although he is just one player, his presence or lack thereof can change the entire complexion of a ballgame.

WHO TO WATCH OUT FOR

Big Dawg Dorian Peña

First 7 game – 3.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, 48% FGs
Last 3 games – 13.3 points, 10.7 rebounds, 64% FG

Dorian has been hot lately. Simply put, he’s been given more opportunities and he’s responded well.

Tonight, if June Mar doesn’t play, there a likely chance that Big Dawg will have another respectable game. If, however, the Kraken does play, Peña’s main responsibility will be to try and stop Petron’s big man. Either way, he will be a crucial factor for Barako Bull in this game, and in their quest to the playoffs.

Photos by Paolo Papa and Paul Ryan Tan of Sports5.ph

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