PBA Finals favorite San Miguel wary of rust vs title-hungry Meralco

San Miguel Beermen and the Meralco Bolts during a press conference ahead of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals.–PBA IMAGES

MANILA, Philippines–San Miguel is shooting for a sweep of the 48th PBA season and standing its way is a Meralco squad that has done what only two clubs have done in the tournament: Beat the Beermen.

“We didn’t know who to prepare for until Game 7 (of the semis) … I’m just scared that we might be rusty but we’ll see,” said head coach Jorge Gallent, who will try to also steer the vaunted club to a successful title defense and its 30th crown in franchise history.

“I’ve been in a lot of teams here in the PBA to know that one game won’t define the series,” said Bolts mentor Luigi Trillo during the title series presser held at Crowne Plaza Hotel in Ortigas Monday afternoon.

“One thing I know is that San Miguel is going to be ready, they’re going to be well-coached. Like us, we’re in the same situation … there’s so many things to say but until we get to the court, that’s when things are really going to start happening for both teams.”

The best-of-seven series gets going this Wednesday, with all of its matches going to be played at the fabled Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City.

READ: Trillo confident of Meralco chances vs San Miguel in PBA Finals

Set to figure prominently in the title showdown is San Miguel’s battle-tested trio of June Mar Fajardo, Marcio Lassiter, and Chris Ross—who will all shoot for their 11th PBA title.

On the other side, Meralco will feature a motley crew of hungry stars led by cornerstone Chris Newsome, hard-nosed Cliff Hodge, and sweet-shooting Allein Maliksi—hell-bent on delivering the franchise’s first-ever title.

Meralco’s last basketball championship came in 1971, when it was still playing in the Manila Industrial and Commercial Athletic Association, a forerunner of the PBA.

The duel is shaping up as a must-see television as well, especially with Meralco coming into the clash a capable bunch. The Bolts beat the Beermen, 95-92, in a game also held in Batangas province.

READ: ‘Four more wins’ now San Miguel battlecry while awaiting PBA Finals foe

Commissioner Willie Marcial is hopeful the series builds on the big television numbers raked in by the Meralco-Ginebra series. The Game 7 featuring those two clubs, he said, peaked at 3.5 million eyeballs at one point.

“Our main motto for this team is doing things step by step. This is, for us, the most important thing—the fourth step, and of course, we’ll be happy to deliver the 30th franchise title for San Miguel,” said Gallent.

“We understand what we’re trying to do.”