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| Barangay Ginebra will battle the Changwon Sakers again. Dennis Acosta (file photo) |
By Ivan Saldajeno
BIÑAN—Changwon and Ginebra are at it again.
The KBL squad and the PBA's "crowd darlings" will face off again in the second Asian Basketball Showdown set on Sept. 17 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
LG, the main sponsor of the event, announced the news on Facebook on Wednesday night.
The Sakers and the Barangay first met on Sept. 9, 2014 also at the Smart Araneta Coliseum with the former winning, 81-76.
[Related Story: Changwon prevails over Ginebra in Asian Basketball Showdown]
The difference this time, however, is that Ginebra, which is gearing up to reclaim the PBA Governors' Cup title it relinquished last year, now has resident import Justin Brownlee in its fold.
Meanwhile, Changwon, led by South Korean national team standout Kim Jong-Kyu, will use the said friendly to gauge the team's preparedness for the upcoming KBL battle, where it looks to make the finals after getting eliminated in the semifinals last season.
The Sakers and the Barangay are not the only KBL and PBA teams with some pre-league tourney duties.
The Sakers' fellow semifinalists, Jeonju Egis, and the Seoul SK Knights will play in The Terrific 12, joining PBA clubs San Miguel Beermen, TNT KaTropa, and Blackwater Elite.
Interestingly enough, The Terrific 12 will open on Sept. 17 too.
Defending KBL champ Ulsan got an invite to play in the FIBA Asia Champions Cup from Sept. 24-29.
It was confirmed too that Meralco, despite barely missing the PBA Commissioner's Cup quarterfinals, will play in the Champions Cup.
Follow him on Twitter: @IvanSaldajeno
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