THE OTHER SISTER ACT
Chris Banchero and Meralco have worked so hard to make it back to a semifinal series and are not about to just go through the motions against the favored and well-oiled sister team, TNT, starting on Sunday.
“We used those quarterfinal losses that we had last season (as motivation) because we’re a good enough team,” Banchero told the Inquirer. “We should be in the semis conference after conference.
“TNT is another battle that we’re going to take care of,” he added.
The Bolts are determined to prove that as they take on the Tropang 5G at 5:15 p.m. to start off the Philippine Cup semis at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in the first of two sister acts that will decide the title series protagonists, with their matchup somehow lost in the San Miguel Beer-Barangay Ginebra pairing that gets going later at 7:30 p.m.
Unlikely semifinalist
The two semifinals will feature a pair of showdowns between sister teams, with Meralco-TNT being a square off of which is the better side from the MVP Group, while SMB-Ginebra is a meeting for the right to be known as San Miguel Corporation’s top team for this conference.
It is the third time that the semis will have both pairings after the 2016 and 2023 editions of the Governors’ Cup.
The Bolts are back in the Final Four after suffering quarterfinal exits in all three conferences last season. Before this all-Filipino tourney, the Bolts’ last semis appearance was during their remarkable title run in the 2024 Philippine Cup.
Getting this far seemed unlikely for Meralco after it lost its first two games and going 3-4 near the tail end of the eliminations.
The Bolts would end up at 6-5 for seventh spot in the playoffs and be ranged against No. 2 Rain or Shine in the quarterfinals. Their brilliance was evident there as they dominated the Elasto Painters for two straight games behind Banchero, Chris Newsome, Cliff Hodge and sophomore CJ Cansino.
“We understand that it’s not how you play in the beginning, but how you play in the end,” said Banchero. “When you can get things going, going into the playoffs, that’s most important.
“A lot of teams have a bumpy road at the start and then start playing well when it comes to playoff time,” he went on. “That’s most important. You’re raising your standard of play as you go into the playoffs.”
‘Great series’
But the Bolts will surely have their hands full against the Tropang 5G, who have been consistent right from the get-go.
They booted out the Magnolia Hotshots in the quarterfinals behind the splendid plays of Calvin Oftana and Jordan Heading as the Tropang 5G displayed their eagerness in getting to the Finals for the fourth straight conference.
“They’re an extremely well-coached team,” Banchero said. “Everybody knows their roster is deep, but we’re excited to play against them. We’re also extremely well-coached and our roster is deep as well.
“It’s going to be a great series.”
