Blackwater and Columbian Dyip (formerly Kia), among four teams failing to make it past the elims last tourney, clash in the opening game of the 2018 PBA Commissioner's Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum Sunday.
Game time is at 4:30 p.m. with both teams aching to get a triumphant start in the import-laced tourney.
Narrowly missing the all-Filipino playoffs, the Elite are bringing in veteran PBA import Jarrid Famous in their hope to be with the elite teams this time around.
Blackwater actually finished at joint seventh with GlobalPort, TNT KaTropa and Phoenix Petroleum at the close of the elims last tourney. But the Elite landed at 10th upon the application of the quotient tiebreak.
Kia was the tail-ender, notching merely one win in 11 games.
Sponsored content:
The Columbian Autocar Corp., however, is also hopeful of making a turnaround, banking on import CJ Aiken.
The Columbian Dyip reinforcement is a 6-foot-9 forward/center who earned an Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year honors with Saint Joseph's in 2012.
Aiken, however, could well be in for a tough test against Famous, a seasoned player with tours of duty practically all over the world.
He has played with the Meralco Bolts, the Petron Blaze Boosters and the GlobalPort Batang Pier in the local pro league.
The 6-foot-11 Bronx native is to provide post presence that the Elite lacked last conference even with Poy Erram's breakout showing.
Sponsored content:
