While monsoon rains will reportedly continue to pour in the coming days, action is expected to heat up in the PBA Season 49 Governors’ Cup.
Teams which started their offseason preparations a little later is slowly gaining steam.
[RELATED STORY: PBA: Allen Durham's near triple-double showing fuels Meralco's victory over NorthPort]
Check out Week 3’s set of games in the Governors’ Cup:
September 3 - Smart Araneta Coliseum
Blackwater vs Phoenix - 5:00pm
NLEX vs Ginebra - 7:30pm
With new import George King leading the way, Blackwater finally hacked out win no. 1 at the expense of Ginebra San Miguel no less.
That should give the Bossing sufficient confidence heading into their clash against Phoenix.
[ALSO READ: Joining Blackwater easy decision for George King after hearing 'really good things' about Philippines, PBA]
Unlike Blackwater, the Fuel Masters are still in search of a first dub after three straight losses.
But tapping a new import in Brandone Francis to replace Jayveous McKinnis could also bring good fortune for Phoenix the way it did with Blackwater.
September 4 - Smart Araneta Coliseum
Converge vs Meralco - 5:00pm
Magnolia vs NorthPort - 7:30pm
Meralco shoots for a third straight win when it tangles with Converge in the curtain-raiser.
While key players like Allein Maliksi (groin), Raymond Almazan (back), and Aaron Black (meniscus) are still nursing injuries, Chris Newsome and Allen Durham are finally getting their gearing going in their pet conference.
The two are expected to play the same major roles anew against the FiberXers as the Bolts, at 3-1, eye early solo lead in Group B action.
[ALSO READ: PBA: Magnolia developing Jerrick Ahanmisi to be two-way player]
September 5 - Ninoy Aquino Stadium
Terrafirma vs TNT - 5:00pm
Rain or Shine vs San Miguel - 7:30pm
Rain or Shine has been nothing short of amazing so far in the ongoing conference.
Coming off a semifinal appearance in the Philippine Cup last season, the Elasto Painters sustained that momentum and added two key pieces in rookies Caelan Tiongson and Felix Lemetti.
[ALSO READ: PBA: Coach Yeng Guiao happy to see another player in Adrian Nocum step up for Rain or Shine]
But the toughest test awaits them on Thursday as they face San Miguel — incidentally, their semifinal tormentor last year — in the main game of the double header.
Rain or Shine stakes its perfect record against the team that has eight-time MVP June Mar Fajardo and import Jordan Adams.
The Beermen are coming off from back-to-back losses at the hands of Ginebra and NLEX, but it would be unwise to underestimate the perennial title contenders.
September 6 - Ninoy Aquino Stadium
Blackwater vs NLEX - 5:00pm
Ginebra vs Phoenix - 7:30pm
After infusing new guys Stephen Holt, Isaac Go, and rookie RJ Abarrientos, it has been a rocky ride for Ginebra.
So far, it looks like the new Gin Kings are still trying to get the hang of the vaunted triangle system that has allowed head coach Tim Cone to win 25 PBA titles and counting.
[ALSO READ: 'He’s gonna be a good one' | Ginebra coach Tim Cone staying patient with RJ Abarrientos]
The learning process is about to get tougher as they face a defensive-minded Phoenix which is also desperate to collect more wins in the Governors’ Cup.
The two teams collide in the main offering of the double-header.
September 7 - Panabo Multi-Purpose Tourism, Sports & Cultural Center
Meralco vs Magnolia - 6:00pm
The two teams that opened the season clash anew in the second round of the double round robin group format.
The last time they met, Magnolia was a Glen Robinson III four-pointer away from snatching the victory.
Now that Robinson has proven little by little why he’s the perfect fit for the Hotshots, it will be interesting to see how he will fare anew against Allen Durham and the undermanned Bolts.
“We're on the right track,” said Magnolia head coach Chito Victolero. “The thing is we need to be competitive and beat those teams na kailangan namin talunin.”
September 8 - Ninoy Aquino Stadium
NorthPort vs Terrafirma - 5:00pm
TNT vs Converge - 7:30pm
TNT import Chot Reyes and import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson could not help but emphasize the importance of listening to and following instructions especially when the game is on the line.
This was after Converge import Scotty Hopson hit a game-winning four pointer against the Tropang Giga to stun the defending champion last August 27.
[ALSO READ: PBA: Scotty Hopson hits 4-point game-winner as Converge stuns champion TNT]
Reyes said the instruction in that play was to take the early foul and let Converge earn their points from the line.
“The thing we talked about is our inability to follow instructions, because our instruction was to foul. We told the players, whomever man catches the ball on the first dribble, go and foul,” said Reyes.
TNT has definitely learned from that now.