The road to the next round of the PBA Governors' Cup is long and difficult, but it's the only one available to the Powerade Tigers and the Barako Bull Energy. 

 

The winner of Tuesday night's match between the two teams then must face a quick-turnaround, and prep for the Meralco Bolts on Wednesday, and only then can they breathe a sigh of relief at having made the top six of the on-going conference. 

When these two teams first met back in May 25, what broke out was a close-fought game that saw Barako Bull constantly try to repel Powerade's multiple attempts to overtake them. 

 

The game started out with the Energy's import back then, Jamine Peterson, waxing hot, scoring 10 early points to forge a 17-5 advantage. From that point on, it was a matter of keep-away, as Powerade kept coming close. 

 

At halftime, the Tigers were behind by just a point, 50-49. By the end of the third, it was 76-74, but the Energy was not about to be stopped. Sunday Salvacion and Don Allado grew their advantage back up to 11, 91-80, and then Danny Seigle and Peterson placed the finishing touches to arrive at the final score.

 

Two key stats stand out for the Energy. The first is a whopping 42-13 advantage in bench points, and the second is an impressive 29-14 edge in assists. With the Barako Bull reserves holding up their part of the offense, and the team as a whole making the extra pass, the Energy were able to begin the Governors' Cup on a positive note.

Both Powerade and Barako Bull look much different from how they started the conference. 

 

The Energy swapped out import Jamine Peterson after three games, picking up Leroy Hickerson in his place. Peterson's numbers were in free-fall after his sensational start, while Hickerson has been more consistent overall. 

 

Gone as well is point guard Wynne Arboleda, whom the team waived. In his place, the team has been starting another veteran, Celino Cruz. They've also picked up Asean Basketball League veteran Al Vergara to give them insurance at that position. 

 

Center Mick Pennisi has also returned after missing the first two games of the team.

 

Powerade also jettisoned their first choice of import, severing ties with NBA veteran Rashad McCants in favor of the older Omar Sneed. McCants had been a one-dimensional scorer who took attempts away from star gunner Gary David, while Sneed has proven to be more versatile, filling in the gaps in the Tigers' game as needed. 

 

The team similarly tapped another ABL vet, in the form of Nic Belasco, to help them up front.

Both Barako Bull and Powerade are not known for their defense - they average more points allowed than scored, but Powerade has it worse, giving up the second-most amount of points among the 10 teams (only Air21 allowed opponents to score more points). 

 

In this match-up however, the Energy connect on a higher percentage of their shots, but rebounding on the defensive end will be the thing to look at. The Tigers are second-best in offensive rebounds, which partially explains their lower field goal numbers. 

 

The bench will also be a huge factor, as it is for any team playing Powerade. Beyond the likes of their import Sneed, Gary David and JV Casio, the Tigers struggle to put points on the board, especially when the reserves take to the court. If the likes of Leo Najorda, Don Allado, and Danny Seigle can keep the baskets flowing for Barako Bull, they can in theory overwhelm the Tigers. 

 

 

X-Factors

 

The "Big Doug" is out to bite
 

 

Ironically, the best weapon Barako Bull has in their arsenal to stop Powerade from dominating the boards is a former Powerade Tiger - All-Filipino Cup starting center Doug Kramer.

Since the team moved Kramer, whom they acquired in a deal between conferences, into the starting line-up, the Energy's action on the boards has definitely improved. He will no doubt, not mind banging against his former teammates for loose balls, which will equal fewer second-chance opportunties for Powerade.

 

The way of the Rey