Bolts try to end skid vs Aces

Meralco hasn’t beaten Alaska in almost two years.      

The Bolts hope to end that long spell as they try to claim an outright Top Two finish in the Oppo PBA Commissioner’s Cup elimination round in a key match with the Aces at 7 p.m. Friday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.         

The last time Meralco pulled one over Alaska was during their elimination-round tussle in the 2013-14 Governors Cup in an 88-87 nail-biter.        

The Bolts are hopeful of ending a long losing streak versus the Aces while riding a searing run anchored on solid import Arinze Onuaku.         

“It’s not everyday that you get an import like Arinze. He’s made us an entirely different team from before,” said Meralco coach Norman Black.         

A win over Alaska will guarantee Meralco of at least No. 2 spot and its reward of a twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinal round.         

The Aces, however, are expected to go all-out also in chase of the same aspiration.         

Meralco leads the pack with a 7-2 win-loss card while Alaska and San Miguel Beer are right behind with identical 6-3 slates.         

Next up for Meralco is Barangay Ginebra. After tangling with Meralco, Alaska, meanwhile, closes its elims stint versus NLEX.         

Both the Bolts and the Aces are coming off stirring triumphs. The Aces ripped the Star Hotshots, 100-92, in a road game in Davao City Saturday while the Bolts pulled off a come-from-behind 94-86 victory over the Mahindra Enforcers at the Big Dome Sunday.

Trailing most of the way, the Bolts stole the game in the end on a fourth-quarter siege highlighted by a telling 13-0 closing romp by Baser Amer, Cliff Hodge and Jimmy Alapag.

Hodge came up with a key five-point binge at the finish to cap his biggest game in the season with 25 points and 11 rebounds, with Onuaku and Chris Newsome also proving to be big factors as the Bolts hung onto the league leadership.

A day earlier, the Aces banked on a super-charged performance of Calvin Abueva as they got past the Hotshots.

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