PBA: Beermen looking to play streak busters against Bolts anew

June Mar Fajardo vs Rabah Al Hussaini. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

San Miguel Beer head coach Leo Austria recalled the last time the Beermen and Meralco Bolts met, three days before the two teams’ anticipated showdown in Legazpi City.

In fact, Austria was the one who reminded reporters it was his team that stopped the Bolts’ franchise-best start last season.

A year later, Meralco and San Miguel eerily find themselves in the same situation with the Bolts putting their record-matching 5-0 start on the line against the Beermen on Saturday.

“I think we’re also the team that beat them first last year when we played in Cagayan,” said Austria after his team posted its second win in a row following a 108-96 victory over Blackwater on Wednesday in Antipolo. “They’re aware of that and what happened that game is still very clear to them.”

Austria was referring to the Beermen’s 102-86 rout of the Bolts in Cagayan de Oro, one of their only four wins in the 2015 Commissioner’s Cup where they finished in ninth place.

San Miguel hopes to ride the momentum of its back-to-back wins when it faces Meralco, which is looking sustain its unbeaten streak and not suffer the same fate it experienced during an up-and-down conference last year.

“They’re undefeated. We have limited time to prepare against them but I feel like two days will be enough to prepare ourselves,” said San Miguel swingman Marcio Lassiter. “We gotta use this as momentum and continue going against them Saturday.”

“This is our second straight win and I hope this will motivate us going against Meralco. We all know Meralco is undefeated and I hope that we play better,” Austria said.