GAMES TODAY
(Rizal Memorial Coliseum)
5 p.m. – Magnolia vs. Converge
7:30 p.m. – Meralco vs. SMB
THERE will be a trip down memory lane when defending champion Meralco and San Miguel Beer show up at the heritage-rich Rizal Memorial Coliseum in Manila.
The combatants will wear retro jerseys from their heydays in the Manila Industrial Commercial Athletic Association—the forerunner of the pro league celebrating its golden anniversary today.
But more than this expected highlight that will be the talk of the town, the Bolts and the Beermen also have big missions.
Meralco seeks to keep its winning run going against an SMB five out to exact some measure of revenge when they clash ain the PBA Philippine Cup.
The nightcap is set at 7:30 after Magnolia battles Converge in the curtain-raiser at 5 o’clock.
While the glitz and glamor of the throwback duel is not lost on Bolts coach Luigi Trillo, a vengeful foe is raring to get back at Meralco after it upended the powerhouse Beermen 4-2 in the championship round of the import-less tilt last season.
“Maganda. It’s nice for the league. Malaking karangalan ito para sa amin. It’s more than us. Meralco has been there even before,” Trillo said. “We have rich traditions from our ball clubs and when we play with each other there’s a high respect for each other. After the last All-Filipino, we know they’re (SMB) going to come back.
“They haven’t been winning in a while so coach Leo (Austria) has that team going and they’re going to be ready. They may be the oldest team but they’re also the most experienced team,” he added.
Meralco kicked off its title-retention bid with contrasting triumphs—a scintillating 91-89 escape over the FiberXers on a Chris Newsome game-winning jumper last Friday and a 118-80 shellacking of Terrafirma last Sunday for a 2-0 mark.
The Bolts will keep on riding the games of Newsome, Cliff Hodge, Raymond Almazan, Aaron Black, Brandon Bates, and rookies CJ Cansino and Kurt Reyson.
It’s the same mindset SMB tactician Leo Austria has for his charges, who opened their redemption drive with a 98-89 victory over NLEX last Saturday.
“Well, it’s an opportunity for us because it’s our 50th anniversary and we’re up against the team that beat us in the All-Filipino,” Austria said. “I think we’re focused on that game. But there’s no grudge match between us.
“But we have to do better because that’s the only way for us to redeem ourselves.”
The Beermen will rely on reigning eight-time MVP June Mar Fajardo, CJ Perez, Marcio Lassiter, Juami Tiongson, Andreas Cahilig, and Don Trollano.
“Magnolia’s a tough team, a perennial title contender. Playoff team iyon for sure. One of the tough teams dito and then we saw kung gaano ka-sharp iyong players nila,” Converge strategist Franco Atienza siad. “Lumalim iyong rotation and then the veterans are there. So, magiging magandang test sa amin ito.
“But we will for sure, we will give them a good fight. We will prepare hard for them and it will be a good game. Magiging dogfight ito.”
With Asia’s first play-for-pay league working hard to draw fans at the storied venue, like giving away free tickets for people born in 1975 and dangling promo prices for arena seats, it’s only fitting that a big crowd witness a looming titanic clash.
