The Magnolia Hotshots Pambansang Manok is scheduled for a head-to-head game against the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters at 4:30 P.M. on July 10, 2019 live from the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
The Hotshots are looking to snap their two-game slump and return to the winning as quickly as possible while the Elasto Painters will also make an attempt to win back-to-back and improve their chances to qualify in the 2019 PBA Commissioner’s Cup playoffs.
Coach Caloy Garcia seems like have a major adjustment need to make as their original import this conference went sidelines due to a knee injury.
Rain or Shine tapped the services of Carl Montgomery, a 6-foot-8 and 30-years-old player whose last stint was with the JD Unicorns, a Malaysian Pro League.
Denzel Bowles sustained a medial meniscus tear and a small medial collateral ligament tear in his knee during their bout against the Alaska Aces last Saturday.
Without an import almost the entire second half of that match, the locals of ROS stepped up and that increases their chances to reach the playoffs.
“It would be hard to match what Denzel had provided us. But Montgomery will surely be a big help on the defensive end,” RoS coackh Garcia said.
For the Hotshots on the other hand, after their superb five-game winning streak it seems that they hit a wall and now staring on their “-2” in the standings.
In their “Manila Clasico” match last Sunday, after they opened the game with a 10-0 blast they succumbed to the retooled offense of the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, 81-102.
Their aim to finish as one of the top-two teams which carries a twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals is now gone.
Their eyes are now set to at least qualify to the playoffs and then move up from there similar what they did last 2019 PBA Philippine Cup.