PBA IMAGES
Facing an enemy that has just done some player movement a couple of days back, Meralco is banking on doing one thing it has done fairly well in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup eliminations.
“We’ll just go out, play hard and try to grind out a win,” coach Norman Black said on the eve of the Bolts’ clash with GlobalPort as Meralco tries to inch closer to a twice-to-beat edge in the first round of the playoffs with a win over the Batang Pier.
“It would be hard to gauge [the Batang Pier] because they have new players and a new import,” Black said of their 4:15 p.m. clash at Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay, where the Batang Pier parade two new locals and a new reinforcement in Jaspin Harper.
Meralco is in the lead with a 7-1 record and is two games ahead of joint second placers San Miguel Beer and Barangay Ginebra. Victories in two of its last three games will practically guarantee the Bolts a top two finish and the quarterfinal bonus.
Black also has a new player to break in, as the Bolts got Garvo Lanete from NLEX in a four-team trade approved last Sunday that revamped the Road Warriors’ lineup further.
Meralco lost rookie Jonathan Grey in that deal, while the Batang Pier gave away JR Quinahan to get Bradwyn Guinto from NLEX and Anthony Semerad.
Still, with Terrence Romeo on loan to the Gilas Pilipinas squad that will try to win the Southeast Asian Basketball Association title starting Friday, the Batang Pier are listed as the heavy underdogs against the in-synch Bolts.
Import Alex Stepheson has transformed the Bolts into solid title contenders ever since arriving, as Black’s locals are playing with a lot of confidence.
Meanwhile, Star and TNT KaTropa, who are tied at 6-2 and are also clinging to their chances of finishing in the top two, slug it out in the 7 p.m. contest with the winner staying alive in the race and the loser looking at a longer quarterfinal stint.
Tournament format calls for the top two teams to need to beat lower-ranked foes just once to advance, with teams that qualify as Nos. 3 to 8 to compete in three best-of-three series.
The Hotshots and the Texters play their second games minus their respective contributions to the Gilas program.
Star turned back Rain or Shine in Batangas last Saturday without rookie Jio Jalalon and Allein Maliksi, while the Texters repulsed San Miguel Beer on Sunday even without Jason Castro, Troy Rosario and RR Pogoy.
TNT rode on Donte Greene’s heroics to inflict the first loss on the Beermen, who played without three-time MVP June Mar Fajardo, and stay in the top two race.