MERALCO and NorthPort clash in a key matchup, while Magnolia tries to get back on the winning track against Terrafirma in a pair of big games marking the PBA Season 49 Governors' Cup on Sunday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

The Bolts and the Batang Pier, currently tied at second spot in the Group A standings at 2-1, face off at 7:30 p.m., following the 5 p.m. match between the Hotshots (1-2) and winless Dyip (0-3).

The winner of the Meralco-NorthPort match will grab a share of the lead with TNT (3-1) in Group A.

The Bolts booked their second win early this week after dumping the Dyip, 107-91, despite playing with veterans Allein Maliksi, Chris Newsome and Raymund Almazan, who were nursing an assortment of injuries.

Meralco coach Luigi Trillo, though, said the three are expected to return to action, noting that the team is heading to a critical stretch of playing three games in a six-game stretch.

After the match versus NorthPort, Meralco clashes with Converge next Wednesday before flying to Panabo City in Davao del Norte to take on Magnolia next Saturday.

The Bolts will be up against a Batang Pier side that is brimming with confidence and is coming off a 135-109 demolition of the FiberXers recently.

Arvin Tolentino instigated the 26-point beating of Converge after finishing with a career-high 51 points, highlighted by five triples and making all 16 of his free throws.

The 6-foot-6 Tolentino became the first local player to breach the 50-point plateau since Stanley Pringle did the trick six years ago.

Meanwhile, Magnolia, still smarting from a tough 82-88 loss to TNT, will be venting its ire against Terrafirma.

The Dyip have hardly lived up to preseason hype as a potential playoff-contending squad since acquiring veteran stars Christian Standhardinger and Stanley Pringle in a blockbuster trade with Barangay Ginebra during the offseason.

Terrafirma has lost by an average margin of 22.3 points in its first three games.

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