2015-16 PBA PH Cup Preview: Meralco Bolts vs Rain or Shine E-Painters

Warning: Undefined variable $nocontent in /var/www/pba/single2017/body-gitlab.php on line 236

Warning: Undefined variable $iscovid in /var/www/pba/single2017/body-gitlab.php on line 239

Warning: Undefined variable $FEAT_STORIES in /var/www/pba/single2017/addfunction-ondemand-gitlab-taboola.php on line 685

Warning: foreach() argument must be of type array|object, bool given in /var/www/pba/single2017/addfunction-ondemand-gitlab-taboola.php on line 688

Warning: Undefined array key 0 in /var/www/pba/single2017/addfunction-ondemand-gitlab-taboola.php on line 730

Spoil or Soar?

Meralco and Rain or Shine are currently on opposite ends of the team standings, with the Bolts all but ousted from the race to the quarterfinals (they lost to both Blackwater and Mahindra, who are at 10th & 11th) with a 1-9 slate and the Painters still in contention for an outright semifinals berth at 7-2. As such, the Bolts are all but spoilers in this game, while the Painters will be looking to soar back among the top two teams and strengthen their claim to a semis slot.

The Bolts have lost their last four games, and though they have done so by an average of just 2.8 points, it still doesn’t change the fact that they all ended up in the loss column. It means, however, that Meralco has been a very competitive team, and they can pull the rug from under any opposing squad on any given day. This is why ROS cannot afford to look past Meralco despite the latter’s woeful record.

The Painters have won 4 of their last 5 games including a big win over the Alaska Aces in their most recent outing. That win gave ROS a good chance of finishing among the top 2 teams, and it gave them momentum again since they lost to TNT prior to the Alaska game. That win will be for naught, though, if they get upset by Meralco in this game, so the Painters should make sure they emerge victorious.

1. ALAPAG MAKES IT RAIN

Jimmy Alapag caught fire from long range in Meralco’s last game, hitting 4 triples and leading the Bolts in scoring, though MER still ended up losing. It’ll be interesting to see if he can do it again here, but he will have to be productive for Meralco to stand a chance against a team as strong as ROS.

Last game: 18pts, 1reb, 4asts, 4 triples.
Stats: 6.7ppg, 4.8apg, 1.2 triples per game.

2. CHRIS CONNECTS

Chris Newsome had two forgettable outings against Mahindra and Alaska, but he finally became productive again in their last match against GlobalPort. As one of the up-and-coming stars for the Bolts, Newsome will need to be more consistent with his high level play, especially now that he’ll be matched up with ROS’s strong wingmen.

Last game: 13pts, 8rebs, 4asts, 1stl, 2blks, 2 triples.
Stats: 10.9ppg, 5.5rpg, 3.7apg, 1.3spg, 46.3 FG%

3. MERALCO: SCORE AND REBOUND, PLEASE!

The Bolts are one of the worst scoring and rebounding teams in the league. They are 2nd to the last in scoring and are dead last in rebounds. Those are two critical areas they will have to prepare for against the Painters, who are among the top 5 best defensive teams right now and are the 2nd best rebounding team in the league. Needless to say, it will be nothing short of a herculean task for Meralco to try and prevail in this encounter.

MER scoring: 88.7ppg (11th)
MER rebounding: 45.0rpg (12th)

ROS scoring allowed: 94.3ppg (5th best)
ROS rebounding: 52.9rpg (2nd)

4. YENG’S TWIN BIGS

They aren’t exactly “twins,” but Beau Belga and Raymond Almazan are the two big men who have been ROS’s most reliable this season so far. Belga is burly and has a steady touch from the perimeter, while Almazan is long and athletic and protects the rim really well. Having them will be a big edge in this game against a Meralco frontline that has been very inconsistent.

Last game Beau: 17pts, 8rebs, 1ast, 1stl, 1 triple, 6/9 FGs
Last game Almazan: 13pts, 4rebs, 1blk, 1 triple, 4/6 FGs

Beau Stats: 11.9ppg, 5.9rpg, 1.9apg, 1.4 triples per game, 37.1 3pt%, 44.4 FG%
Almazan Stats: 9.9ppg, 8.0rpg, 1.1bpg, 42.0 FG%

5. HOT WINGS!

Aside from their frontcourt, ROS also possesses very reliable wingmen who can wax hot at the drop of a hat. Young buck Jericho Cruz and veteran sniper Jeff Chan are two of the best wingmen on ROS’s roster, and they should play heavy minutes in this game. Cruz is the speedy slasher who will attack the defense aggressively while Chan is the steady shooter who will spread the floor. They should have a very interesting match-up against Meralco’s perimeter players, specifically Gary David and Chris Newsome.

Cruz last game: 13pts, 1reb, 2asts, 2stls, 6/11 FGs.
Chan last game: 12pts, 4rebs, 2asts, 3stls, 1 triple, 4/6 FGs.

Cruz stats: 14.4ppg, 3.0rpg, 2.7apg, 1.0 triple per game, 50.0 FG%
Chan stats: 13.2ppg, 3.3rpg, 1.8apg, 1.7 triples per game, 46.8 FG%

6. ROS: GET TO THE LINE!

One big reason ROS prevailed against Alaska in their last game was because the Painters got to the line 38 times, making a total of 25 free throws. Their aggressiveness was rewarded, and they should do the same thing here against a Meralco team not really known for playing good defense.

Last game FTs: 25/38 (65.8%)
Belga: 4/11
Almazan: 4/4
Chan: 3/4
Quinahan: 3/5
Norwood: 5/6

7. KEY MATCH-UP: GARY DAVID X JEFF CHAN

These are two of the deadliest shooters in the league, and it’ll be interesting to see who outshoots who in this game. Both have served for the national team, and both have had a lot of success in their careers, so it should be an exciting showdown between these two veteran snipers. David is coming off a so-so game, but he is the leading scorer of Meralco, so look for him to bounce back here while Chan, ROS’s 2nd leading scorer, is expected to be his usual steady self.

David last game: 8pts, 6rebs, 1ast, 2 triples, 2/7 FGs
Chan last game: 12pts, 4rebs, 2asts, 3stls, 1 triple, 4/6 FGs.

David stats: 17.6ppg, 3.8rpg, 1.3apg, 3.0 triples per game, 34.4 3pt%, 44.4 FG%
Chan stats: 13.2ppg, 3.3rpg, 1.8apg, 1.7 triples per game, 46.8 FG%

Warning: Undefined array key "TESTPAGE" in /var/www/pba/single2017/body-gitlab.php on line 254

Warning: Undefined array key "fb" in /var/www/pba/single2017/body-gitlab.php on line 280

Warning: Undefined variable $thinq in /var/www/pba/single2017/body-gitlab.php on line 318

Warning: Undefined variable $var_sports_vlurb in /var/www/pba/single2017/body-gitlab.php on line 328

Warning: Undefined variable $mindanaoQuake2019 in /var/www/pba/single2017/body-gitlab.php on line 442

Warning: Undefined variable $showSolicit_batanes in /var/www/pba/single2017/body-gitlab.php on line 459

Warning: Undefined variable $seagames in /var/www/pba/single2017/body-gitlab.php on line 475

Warning: Undefined variable $tokyoOlympics2020 in /var/www/pba/single2017/body-gitlab.php on line 481

Warning: Undefined variable $help_taal in /var/www/pba/single2017/body-gitlab.php on line 490

Warning: Undefined variable $help_ompong in /var/www/pba/single2017/body-gitlab.php on line 525

Warning: Undefined variable $elections_2019 in /var/www/pba/single2017/body-gitlab.php on line 538

Warning: Undefined variable $typhoon_2018_redirect in /var/www/pba/single2017/body-gitlab.php on line 543

Warning: Undefined variable $ncov2020 in /var/www/pba/single2017/body-gitlab.php on line 555

Warning: Undefined variable $tyhoon2020_marthon in /var/www/pba/single2017/body-gitlab.php on line 578

Warning: Undefined variable $dotnet23 in /var/www/pba/single2017/body-gitlab.php on line 585

Warning: Undefined variable $suicide in /var/www/pba/single2017/body-gitlab.php on line 595

Warning: Undefined variable $yearend2020 in /var/www/pba/single2017/body-gitlab.php on line 600

Warning: Undefined array key "inqplus_test" in /var/www/pba/single2017/body-gitlab.php on line 609

Warning: Undefined array key "newreadnext" in /var/www/pba/single2017/body-gitlab.php on line 664

View comments

TAGS:

Warning: Undefined variable $bc_tag in /var/www/pba/single2017/body-gitlab.php on line 1239

For feedback, complaints, or inquiries, contact us.

Warning: Undefined array key "ss2_test" in /var/www/pba/single2017/body-gitlab.php on line 1418