Titan Ultra chases rare winning streak as TNT looks to regroup

Tiger Scores365

Momentum is a feeling Titan Ultra hasn't enjoyed often, but the Giant Risers have a chance to change that on Saturday.

Fresh off one of the biggest upsets of the young PBA Season 50 Governors' Cup, Titan Ultra returns to the Ynares Center in Antipolo hoping to make it two wins in a row when it takes on winless Macau at 5:15 p.m.

The Giant Risers stunned defending champion TNT, 103-87, on Wednesday to finally break into the win column after opening the conference with three straight defeats, including back-to-back blowout losses to Converge and NLEX.

Now, head coach Rensy Bajar's squad has an opportunity to build on that breakthrough.

The franchise's last winning streak came during the Season 50 Philippine Cup, when Titan Ultra defeated Terrafirma and Phoenix in consecutive games before ultimately missing the playoffs with a 4-7 record.

Standing in its way is a Macau side still searching for its first victory.

The Giant Pandas carry a 0-4 record into the matchup but showed signs of life in their most recent outing, pushing TNT to the limit before falling just short, 106-103, after failing to capitalize in the closing moments.

According to Tiger Score sportsbook, Macau is favored to edge Titan Ultra despite its winless start.

The spotlight then shifts to the evening's 7:30 p.m. clash between TNT and Terrafirma, with the Tropang 5G eager to quickly recover from their surprising defeat to the Giant Risers.

While Terrafirma has dropped three straight games, the Dyip have made life difficult for every opponent during that stretch, losing by an average of only 2.6 points.

Their near-upset of San Miguel highlighted just how dangerous they can be. Juami Tiongson appeared to have delivered the decisive blow against his former team by knocking down a transition three-pointer that gave Terrafirma a 104-101 lead with 1:21 remaining, only for George King to engineer the Beermen's late comeback.

Those performances serve as a reminder that TNT cannot afford to overlook the Dyip, a team that has also scored notable victories over the Tropang 5G in the past two seasons.

According to Tiger Score sportsbook, TNT enters the matchup as a 5.0-point favorite, with the projected total set at 213.5 points.