It appears that Meralco is set to face the same team it absorbed a humiliating loss to just recently come the 2022 PBA Governors’ Cup quarterfinals.
The Bolts have locked up the fourth seed by way of a 109-90 conquest of Phoenix on Friday at SMART Araneta Coliseum. This means that they will face the no. 5 crew in the playoffs that should commence next week.
That team, you wonder? Well, it could be contender San Miguel, one of those who beat the MVP ball club during its uncharacteristic three-game slide.
And that defeat to the Beermen is easily one of their most heartbreaking ones in recent memory. There, Meralco led by as much as 26 points in the first half, only to collapse and, ultimately, bow to a 115-110 decision.
The main reason was Shabazz Muhammad, who erupted for 57 points – including 45 in the second half. It was one of the most spectacular individual performances that the league had seen in years.
Yes, the player that should have been the Bolts’ import for the season-ending tilt – before begging off due to family matters – dealt most of the damage.
Such interesting storylines definitely add more spice to the looming match-up, although it would only take place granted that TNT will beat Northport. The Tropang Giga will lock up the 3-seed, while SMB slides to fifth.
And should that materialize, then it would be the first time that Meralco and San Miguel will face each other in the playoffs since the 2020 Philippine Cup quarterfinals. There, the former ended the latter’s five-year reign.
Head coach Norman Black feels, too, that the match-up is inevitable. But he isn’t thinking about getting back at the Beermen or any of that.
“No. I just look at it as we have to beat them once,” said the multi-titled mentor, as the Bolts carry a twice-to-beat advantage for the quarters.
“I can’t bring back what happened in the last game.”
Instead, the team’s main concern is not repeating the same mistakes against the Beermen.
“It is very obvious that we would like to watch that game again – which I’ve actually done a couple of times already – and try to learn from it, so that we don’t make the same mistakes when we play them again,” Black said.
“But going into the game, you start off 0-0. So that will be my focus, just worrying about that particular game the next time we play San Miguel.”
Quarter Scores: 37-28, 56-55, 88-68, 109-90.
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