Hotshots eye payback vs Elasto Painters, Gin Kings and Bolts seek bounce-back

Traditional rivals take center stage Friday as the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Season 50 Governors' Cup returns to the SM Mall of Asia Arena with a pair of key Group B matchups.

Magnolia and Rain or Shine open the doubleheader at 5:15 p.m., before Barangay Ginebra takes on Meralco at 7:30 p.m.

Rain or Shine enters the opener riding a two-game winning streak, including a convincing 110-99 victory over Ginebra last Sunday. The Elasto Painters will be looking to extend their surge against a Magnolia side that is coming off a 112-98 win over Meralco to notch its first victory of the conference.

The Hotshots will also have revenge on their minds after Rain or Shine dealt them a 91-82 defeat during the elimination round of the Commissioner's Cup last April. In that meeting, the Elasto Painters erased a four-point deficit in the fourth quarter before pulling away for the victory.

The nightcap features two teams looking to regain their footing after recent setbacks.

Ginebra enters the contest with a 1-2 record after suffering a 110-99 loss to Rain or Shine, while Meralco slipped to 2-2 following its defeat to Magnolia that halted a two-game winning streak.

The Gin Kings also have added motivation after absorbing a 112-91 loss to the Bolts in their previous Commissioner's Cup meeting on Labor Day, a result that snapped Ginebra's five-game winning streak at the time.

According to Tiger Score sportsbook, Magnolia is a 3.5-point underdog against Rain or Shine, with the over/under set at 215.0 points.

In the main game, Ginebra is favored by 2.0 points over Meralco, while the total is pegged at 197.5.