Games on Christmas Day
(Philippine Arena)
3 p.m. – NLEX vs GlobalPort
5:15 p.m. – Barangay Ginebra vs Magnolia
With a better team than what it had last year — and in the previous one at that — Meralco on Friday night got off to its finest Philippine Cup start under Norman Black, but the multi-titled coach isn’t about to pressure his boys into achieving what they have failed to since 2016.
New acquisition KG Canaleta rifled five straight points when the game was on the line in the dying minutes and helped preserve a 103-98 win over Blackwater, as Meralco, aside from missing out in the playoffs here the last two seasons, finally won its tournament debut.
Cañaleta hit 19 of his team-high 25 points in the final two frames and the Bolts finished with just enough spunk to hold off the Elite, who led by as large as 12 points early in the second only to sputter in the third.
“I think we have a better team, but it’s not playoff or bust for us (in this conference),” Black said after getting a total of four players in twin digits and pulling out the win despite the absence of the veteran Ranidel de Ocampo and do-it-all forward Cliff Hodge.
“This is a good start for us, and it’s nice to get off to a good start (in this conference),” Black went on. “But we have (defending champion) San Miguel (Beer) next, and that will be a big challenge.”
Meralco won a total of just four games in the last two Philippine Cups, going 1-10 in Black’s first year.
But after trading for some players, particularly De Ocampo, last season, and nabbing Canaleta through free agency together with big man Jason Ballesteros, Mac Baracael and Nico Salva, the Bolts indeed look formidable enough to make a push this time.
De Ocampo and Hodge, though, won’t be around when the Bolts battle the Beermen on Wednesday at Ynares Center in Antipolo.
“He’s going to be a good addition to our team,” Black said of Canaleta, who hit 5-of-9 tries from three-point range and was 9-for-15 overall in less than 30 minutes.
Allein Maliksi and rookie Raymar Jose scored 16 each to pace the Elite, who scored just 39 points in the middle two periods to trail, 90-71, early in the fourth.
Blackwater made it close and came within three, only for Canaleta to hit those five straight points that kept the Bolts’ collective heads above water.
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