Playing without Akil Mitchell, Meralco suffered a critical blow to its 2024-25 East Asia Super League (EASL) Final Four aspirations after absorbing an 89-71 drubbing at the hands of Ryukyu on Wednesday night at the Philsports Arena.
The absence of Mitchell, who had been averaging 25 points and 20 rebounds in his two tournament appearances, was evident as the Bolts struggled to match the firepower of last season’s runner-up in the B.League.
Despite a closely contested first quarter, Meralco’s offense unraveled in the middle periods as Ryukyu tightened its grip on the game.
Vic Law led the Kings with an all-around performance, posting 20 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and two steals.
Fellow imports Alex Kirk and Keve Aluma chipped in 19 and 18 points, respectively, to secure the Kings’ fifth win in six outings and clinch the top seed in Group B.
The Golden Kings also defeated the Bolts in their first encounter last October 16, 77–74.
Meanwhile, Meralco dropped to 2-3, sliding to fourth place behind the New Taipei Kings (3-2) and the Macau Black Bears (3-3).
Cliff Hodge and Ange Kouame led the Bolts 13 points each, with Hodge adding seven rebounds.
Kouame is set to head to Dubai tomorrow to join Strong Group for the 34th Dubai International Basketball Championship.
However, the Bolts struggled to fill the void left by Mitchell, and DJ Kennedy had a tough night, managing just three points on 1-of-8 shooting.
The Bolts now face a do-or-die scenario against the New Taipei Kings on February 12 in Taiwan.
A win will forge a potential three-way tie for the final semifinal berth alongside New Taipei and Macau.
The Scores:
Ryukyu 89 – Law 20, Kirk 19, Alluma 18, Matsuwaki 12, Kishimoto 12, Onodera 6, Ito 2, Arakawa 0, Taira 0, Waki 0, Uematsu 0, Tsukamoto 0.
Meralco 71 – Hodge 13, Kouame 13, Newsome 12, Banchero 9, Bates 6, Cansino 6, Quinto 5, Kennedy 3, Rios 3, Almazan 1, Caram 0.
Quarterscores: 23-22, 50-41, 75-56, 89-71.
