Meralco targets EASL semifinals slot
Meralco will get another shot at a semifinals berth on Wednesday, this time in the East Asia Super League (EASL) when the Bolts look to secure a tough road victory against the New Taipei Kings.
The Bolts can’t let the frustrations and disappointment of losing to Barangay Ginebra in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup quarterfinals get the best of them, especially with a breakthrough spot in the Final Four berth on the line 7 p.m. at Taipei’s University of Taipei, Tian-Mu campus.
“We still got more business to handle,” Chris Newsome said. “We can’t dwell on this one [against Ginebra] too long because we still got work to do.”
Newsome and Meralco are going to come in three nights removed from a 94-87 loss to Ginebra in the deciding third game of their quarterfinal series at Ynares Center in Antipolo City that was marred by an outburst by active consultant Nenad Vucinic over what he felt were spotty calls that also led to his ejection.
The Bolts led by 13 but eventually saw that margin disappear and spent the fourth quarter trying to mount a comeback, to no avail.
“It’s sad that we didn’t make it to the [PBA] semis, but happy that we get another shot at making the semis of another league,” Newsome said.
A victory will mean a lot for the Bolts as they’ll become the first PBA team to reach the semifinals of the international league that has been running for three editions.
PBA teams have won a combined four out of 26 games in the EASL, with three of those coming from Meralco, which has taken the competition as serious as its quest to win on the domestic front.
Second import DJ Kennedy and naturalized player Ange Kouame, fresh from his stint with Strong Group in the Dubai Invitational Basketball Tournament, are going to be pivotal in the Bolts’ bid to qualify for the Final Four.
Meralco can do that with a victory over New Taipei, even if they end up tied in Group B at 3-3 due to a head-to-head advantage.
But the biggest question mark is whether Commissioner’s Cup import Akil Mitchell is going to play after a nagging back problem limited his movement during Game 3.
