Import sub Singletary debuts for Beermen vs Bolts

San Miguel fields in temporary import sub Mike Singletary as the Beermen seek to push their playoff aspiration against the Meralco Bolts in the PBA Governors Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum Wednesday.

The Beermen and the Bolts square off at 7 p.m. in a duel of teams running neck and neck at fourth and fifth places heading into the homestretch of the one-round-robin elims.

The winner automatically makes the playoff round.

San Miguel is at 5-2 while Meralco is half-game behind at 5-3.

Both are determined to land in the Top Four for a twice-to-beat incentive in the quarterfinals.

“Napaka-importante yung naisalba namin yung last game namin playing without an import. It kept us within striking distance of the leaders,” said San Miguel coach Leo Austria.

Another win versus Meralco will get San Miguel back to joint second with Mahindra and Barangay Ginebra at 6-2.

“At where we are, we have no other options but to keep on winning if we’re to make the top four,” said Meralco coach Norman Black.

“We lost by a big margin to Ginebra. We’ll have a poor quotient if we figure in a tie with them,”

Black also said. Meralco’s last three games are against San Miguel, Star and Mahindra.

The Bolts ride the momentum of back-to-back wins over Blackwater and NLEX as they take on the Beermen and new import Singletary.

Singletary is a PBA veteran with a previous tour of duty in the local pro league with the defunct Barako Bull team.

He was last seen by Filipino basketball fans in his stint with Mighty Sports in the recent Jones Cup in Taipei.

He arrived in the country Friday. With Reid confined behind the bench, June Mar Fajardo and his teammates carved out a crucial win versus the Alaska Milk Aces (106-103) last Wednesday. (SB)

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