Barangay Ginebra will try to halt its two-game skid when it tangles with dangerous Columbian Dyip in the main game of the 2019 PBA Philippine Cup on Saturday at the Ynares Sports Center in Antipolo.
Since opening the 2019 season with an impressive 90-79 win over TNT, Ginebra has lost back-to-back games, first bowing to four-time All-Filipino conference champion San Miguel 99-91 before losing to Rain or Shine 83-80.
Coach Tim Cone expects his team to come out with fire and grit, knowing that another loss could put the Kings in deep trouble.
Meanwhile, the Dyip have been surprising with their energy, going 2-2 in the early part of the 2019 season.
Their two victories came at the expense of San Miguel and NorthPort, while losing to league-leader Phoenix and NLEX.
So far, coach John Cardel's reminders and motivation seem to work wonders for the young Columbian team, which has showed heart even in defeat.
In fact, Columbian's recent game saw the team claw back from a 31-point deficit, narrowing it to just five points, before eventually losing 107-97 against NLEX.
Top 2018 PBA rookie pick CJ Perez is expected to take the lead for the Dyip. The former Lyceum Pirate averaged 16 points, 7.75 rebounds and 4.0 assists for the Dyip, though he's expected to get a lot of support from Reden Celda, Jackson Corpuz and fellow rookie JP Calvo, who is averaging 10 points and two rebounds.