Sister teams Meralco, TNT square off with Bolts eyeing safe passage to quarterfinal round
Games Today
(Smart Araneta Coliseum)
4:15 p.m. – TNT KaTropa vs Meralco
7 p.m. – San Miguel Beer vs Rain or Shine
Meralco, which lost this tournament in a very heart-rending manner last season, tangles with struggling sister team TNT KaTropa on Wednesday, seeking a win to formally advance to the quarterfinals of the PBA Governors’ Cup at Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao.
Tip-off is at 4:15 p.m. with the Bolts shooting to become the third team to earn safe passage to the next round, and, more importantly, stay in the hunt for a top four finish which carries a twice-to-beat advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
Meanwhile, San Miguel Beer, chasing to complete a rare Triple Crown sweep, will most likely play Terik Bridgeman against Rain or Shine in the 7 p.m. contest as the Beermen await the arrival of new import Terrence Watson.
Bridgeman, who came in to replace Wendell McKines, was a huge disappointment in his debut last Saturday, scoring just two points and grabbing six rebounds in a 79-90 loss to Alaska in Angeles City in Pampanga.
Management and coaching staff wasted no time and has shopped around for a replacement, their third import in the season-closing conference, who has turned out to be Watson and is expected to plane in either late Tuesday or early Wednesday from the United States.
But a ranking team official told the Inquirer that the Beermen would likely play Bridgeman against the Elasto Painters because coaching staff doesn’t feel that Watson would be able to have at least one practice with the team.
The Bolts haven’t seen action since Aug. 18, when they nipped Phoenix Petroleum, 107-104, and it is a layoff that was a welcome one as far as coach Norman Black is concerned as it can allow injuries on some players to heal.
“We are coming off a long break so it would be interesting to see how we respond,” Meralco coach Norman Black said.
Allen Durham will again be the focal point of the Meralco game on both ends, with the tireless import having all the motivation to succeed this year after Justin Brownlee hit the game-winning triple over him in Game 6 of the Finals last season that clinched Barangay Ginebra’s championship.