-
-
-
SERVICES
THE INQUIRER COMPANY
-
-
-
-
05
-
05
-
2024
-
SERVICES
THE INQUIRER COMPANY
05
05
2024
In four previous matches this season, Meralco seems to have had the number of sister team NLEX. The Bolts, in fact, have beaten the Road Warriors three out of four times, the most memorable a 91-85 overtime win in Game 2 of their 2015 Commish Cup quarterfinals series. In that game, NLEX was up by as many as 20 points, but Gary David’s 31-point explosion and the steady plays of Josh Davis and Reynel Hugnatan helped the Bolts make a comeback and win.
Surely, this time around, NLX will look to pay its sister team back for that loss and hope to stem their two-game slide as well. NLX has caught a bit of a bad break with an injury that has hobbled prolific Asian import Michel Madanly, but a win i this proving ground can perhaps spark a turnaround in the team’s fortunes.
On the other end, MER is coming off a strong showing, beating SMB, 106-95. That helped the Bolts bounce back from losing their first game to the GlobalPort Batang Pier. With a new import coming in, MER sure hopes it can win back-to-back games and maybe even extend their luck going into their next few assignments.
Previous results:
PHL Cup
MER bt NLX, 90-75 (elims)
COMM Cup
NLX bt MER, 89-76 (elims)
MER bt NLX, 87-82 (QFs)
MER bt NLX, 91-85 (OT – QFs)
Here are some things to look at in this game:
Against SMB, Emmett didn’t score as much as he did in his first game, but at least this time his team got the victory. The good thing about Emmett was he stayed aggressive despite struggling a little bit from the field. The only chink in his armor is that it seems he’s a volume shooter (his FG% is only 41.7% though), and he seems prone to turnovers. If he can be more efficient, he has the stuff to lead MER and maybe even vie for Best Import.
vs SMB: 31pts, 11rebs, 5asts, 2stls, 1blk, 1/8 3pts, 40.7 FG%, 5 turnovers
After a so-so outing against GLO where he went just 2/8 from the floor, El Granada erupted for 23 points against SMB, hitting 2 triples and making all but 3 of his field goals. Needless to say, for MER to harbor any hopes of going deep in this tournament, David needs to be at the forefront of the offense.
vs SMB: 23pts, 4rebs, 2asts, 2 triples, 10/13 FGs.
With Emmett and David taking care of much of the offense, Cliff Hodge has become one of this team’s utility men, not afraid to mix it up in the trenches and get the job done. Hodge basically does a lot of the dirty work for MER: grabbing rebounds, providing a lot of energy, and just being a steady presence on both ends. If he can do that here against a seemingly bigger NLX team, then the Bolts should be okay.
vs SMB: 10pts, 11rebs, 4asts, 1stl, 1blk, 5/8 FGs.
With original choice Benny Koochoie not able to secure a release from his Iranian club Gorgan, MER has turned to Japanese youngster Seiya Ando to be its Asian import. Ando hasn’t seen action in any top-level Asian tournament, but he is expected to inherit the role of point guard for Team Japan later this year. He had a memorable pair of duels with Kiefer Ravena in the 2010 FIBA Asia U18 Championship, with Ravena’s Philippine team going 2-0 over Japan. Ravena scored a total of 55 points against Ando and the Japanese, while Ando tallied a total of 44 markers. Ando has been playing in Canada and is known as an aggressive guard who has a wicked touch from long range and who is shifty enough to attack the basket well.
Stats with Halifax Rainmen: 9.9ppg, 3.0rpg, 3.8apg, 1.2spg, 1.3 trples per game.
After an okay debut, California native Kwame Alexander bounced back well in game 2, tallying 25 points and 26 rebounds while also helping MER to the win. He displayed a different facet of his game in that one, hitting 4 tripes while also a total of 9/15 from the field. The question for Kwame is can he maintain that kind of 20-20 production in the long-run?
vs PUR: 25pts, 26rebs, 4 triples, 1ast, 1blk, 9/15 FGs.
One bright spot so far for NLX has been the play of guard Jonas Villanueva. The veteran who has bounced around in this league gas been putting up career-highs in scoring, assists, and rebounds, while also rediscovering his long distance game. If Jonas can just find real consistency, NLX will surely reap the benefits.
vs PUR: 14pts, 4rebs, 7asts, 2stls, 1blk, 2 triples.
Govs Cup stats: 12.0ppg, 2.5rpg, 7,5apg, 1,5spg, 43.5 FG%
One guy who had a lot of big expectations to meet was Syrian guard Michel Madanly. He had a terrific first three quarters in the PBA, scoring 26 points, but he also got injured and it has been affecting hi since then. In the team’s last game against PUR, Madanly certainly struggled, but he is known for being a tough cookie, so expect him to be back soon. Once he’s 100%, though, he is pretty awesome.
vs BAR: 26pts, 5rebs, 3 triples, 61.1 FGs.
vs PUR: 8pts, 1reb, 1ast, 1stl,
One aspect of NLEX’s game that really needs tweaking is attacking the basket and moving so the referee gives you the benefit of the doubt. Against PUR, however, this was not the case. NLX settled for outside shots, attempting 31 threes, but this wasn’t enough to neutralize PUR’s advantage from the line. In all, NLX shot 9/12 from the line, but PUR did even better, going to the stripe 39 times and making 24. To win this game against MER and future outings, NLX just needs to be in constant attack mode.
Free throws: NLX 9/12, PUR 24/39
*37% of NLX’s shots were from beyond the arc
*only 18% of PUR’s shots were from beyond the arc
Follow Us
Other Stories:
Recent Stories:
Complete stories on our Digital Edition newsstand for tablets, netbooks and mobile phones; 14-issue free trial. About to step out? Get breaking alerts on your mobile.phone. Text ON INQ BREAKING to 4467, for Globe, Smart and Sun subscribers in the Philippines.