NLEX, Big Chill begin D-League title clash

MANILA, Philippines - NLEX steps up its bid for a third straight championship as it tests Big Chill’s mettle in the opener of their best-of-three series for the PBA D-League Foundation Cup crown at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City today.

Gametime is at 2 p.m. with the Warriors fancied to get past the Super Chargers in the tournament they dominated last year.

With an 11-game winning streak – the longest by any team in the fledgling league – odds are stacked on the NLEX side although coach Boyet Fernandez opted to down play their chances for a repeat.

“This will be a classic match-up. Both teams are evenly matched in terms of individual talent,” said Fernandez.

Big Chill advanced to the finals by ousting Cebuana Lhuillier in sudden death in the Final Four last Thursday.

“The whole organization starting from management up to the whole team are so motivated and so pumped up and so prepared for this encounter with NLEX,” said Big Chill coach Robert Sison.

The Super Chargers will be out for some kind of revenge after the Road Warriors swept them in the semis on their way to ruling the PBA D-League Aspirants Cup.

Although Sison maintains the Road Warriors boast of a deep bench, the Big Chill mentor believes his wards can very well match up with the defending champions.

“Everyone in the team is healthy and excited to play in the championship,” he said.

The matchup is also billed as a duel of offense vs defense.

The Road Warriors are the league’s top defensive team, limiting their rivals to a low 62 points a game from the elims to the semis.

Big Chill, on the other hand, averaged 80 plus points per game to become the league’s top offensive team.