ANTIPOLO – Coach Luigi Trillo could only smile upon receiving a reminder about the last time Meralco started a PBA conference at 3-5.
“I wish it could be easy na ganun,” the Bolts’ chief mentor said with a chuckle shortly after their skid-snapping victory over Blackwater in the Season 49 Philippine Cup on Wednesday night at the Ynares Center here.
Trillo was referring to their historic Season 48 Philippine Cup campaign, in which the team gifted the franchise its first-ever league championship after conquering the former ‘five-peat’ winners in San Miguel Beer in six games.
While most will remember Chris Newsome’s Game 6 heroics, what some fans and pundits may recall from that run was the way Meralco began the tilt.
The team struggled, earning just three wins in its first eight games of the said tournament before managing to finish with a 6-5 card.
And with some stroke of luck, Meralco wound up as the no. 3 seed after a five-way tie in the standings, good enough to be in a best-of-3 quarterfinal series against the no. 6 NLEX, whom the Bolts eventually swept.
“Sometimes, when your backs are against the wall, it shows your character, ‘di ba,” reflected Trillo, who at that time was in his first season at the helm after long-time head coach Norman Black was moved to a consultant role.
“We were 1-3, and then 3-5. I think what’s nice about this team is there’s so many good people, you know, from our coaching staff; our management came in and tried to talk to us, see what they could do,” he added.
A year later, and the Bolts found themselves off to a similar start when they bowed to Magnolia via rout last May 14 — a match marred by Cliff Hodge’s dangerous foul on Zav Lucero that led to a one-game suspension.
“We don’t want it to be 3-5, hindi namin pinlano na ganito,” Trillo said, smiling. “I think teams are really playing well, you know, may pagkukulang kami.”
The champion bench tactician simply feels relieved that they got the 103-85 win over the struggling Bossing, as it put them back on track after losing back-to-back games — first against TNT, and then versus the Hotshots.
“But we’re lucky now that we at least won this one. And in convincing fashion. We’re not really honestly looking at 3-5 but it’s good to win one.”
But he acknowledges, too, that turning things around could be easier said than done, given their challenging schedule.
Their last two games of the eliminations will be against NLEX on May 25 and then versus Barangay Ginebra in a rivalry affair five nights later.
Days later, they’ll be off to Dubai for the Basketball Champions League Asia 2025, in which they’ll be playing versus champion clubs of the continent.
“Ngayon, it gets harder,” said Trillo. “NLEX is playing well, Ginebra also needs that win. We have a busy schedule — ito, tapos ‘yung Champions League.”
#WATCH: Coach Luigi Trillo praises Meralco for finally showing that much-needed sense of urgency in the #PBA2025 Philippine Cup 🏀
📹 @justinebacnis /Tiebreaker Times pic.twitter.com/JBmlIpeQc7
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) May 21, 2025
