THE REIGNING champions NLEX Road Warriors and the Cebuana Lhuillier Gems hope to forge another championship showdown as they aim to close out their respective semifinals series today in the 2012 PBA D-League Foundation Cup.
Winner of their last five games, the Gems could advance to the title series with another victory against second-seed Big Chill in their scheduled duel at the San Juan Gym.
The Gems took the opener of the best-of-three series, 79-66, on Thursday by outscoring the Super Chargers by 27 points in the second half.
In the other semifinal between NLEX and Blackwater Sports, the Road Warriors won the opener, 86-77, but coach Boyet Fernandez anticipates another grind out game in Game 2.
NLEX and Cebuana Lhuillier played each other in the finals of this conference last year with the Road Warriors eventually sweeping the Gems to clinch league’s inaugural championship. /Correspondent Jonas Panerio