FROM a complete 12-team field, it’s now down to eight. The initial four squads seek a big start in their bid to gain inclusion in the semifinals of the season-ending tilt.
Who’s going to succeed in their initial goal will be known as the quarterfinals of the PBA Philippine Cup get going today at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Third seed Meralco battles No. 6 NLEX in the curtain-raiser of their best-of-3 series at 4:30 p.m. while fourth-ranked TNT tangles with No. 5 Rain or Shine in the nightcap at 7:30.
Road Warriors coach Frankie Lim is bracing for the Bolts’ A-Game they typified in a 95-92 squeaker over erstwhile unbeaten and defending champion San Miguel Beer six days back in Batangas–a win that foiled the Beermen’s attempt to complete an elimination sweep.
“We’ll have a lot of thinking to do about Meralco,” Lim said. “Especially after its win over San Miguel. It seems that their game is changing, particularly its bigs.
“That’s one key factor that we’ll have to look at,” he added.
Lim’s charges, who are also coming off a morale-boosting 76-72 triumph over the Ginebra Kings last Sunday in the last elims match, will bank on the likes of gunner Robert Bolick, Richie Rodger, Robbie Herndon, Baser Amer, and Michael Miranda.
Meralco will pin its hopes on Cliff Hodge, Allein Maliksi, Chris Newsome, Bong Quinto, and Chris Banchero.
The Road Warriors scored a 99-96 escape over the Bolts when they first met last March 6.
Like Lim, Tropang Giga tactician Chot Reyes is not one to write off the Elasto Painters, who rose from a 0-4 start in the import-less meet and reached the Last Eight.
“We have to figure out how to stop a team that is playing at a very high level,” Reyes said of their foes who won six of their last seven outings. “The difficulty with Rain or Shine is that there’s not one guy that you can key on because everyone is playing very well.
“They’re all really playing very well. It will take a lot for us to be prepared and be ready to compete.”
TNT is expected to draw strength from Calvin Oftana, Roger Pogoy, Jason Castro, and Kelly Williams.
The Tropang Giga held off the Magnolia Hotshots 98-93 last Sunday.
“That’s going to be interesting,” Reyes said of Rain or Shine’s one-week respite since it drubbed NLEX 120-104. “But like I said, if we have everyone ready and 100 percent, I think we can give them a good fight.”
