GETTING BACK ON TRACK
AFTER opening up the conference on a very bright note GlobalPort and Meralco are seeing their respective campaigns taking unwanted turns.
Which team negotiates another curve better or goes the wrong way anew should be known Sunday when the Batang Pier and Bolts tangle in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
A win is sorely needed by each not only to lift their flagging campaigns but also to prop their morale.
Especially Meralco, which notched an impressive 99-92 triumph over powerhouse Talk N Text in their initial outing but since then has lost three straight, the last an 86-88 decision to Petron Blaze.
“We try again,” said coach Ryan Gregorio, whose Bolts lost to Alaska by four and to Rain or Shine by nine.
“We’ve been competing hard but could not close out games on a high note. We just have to try harder.”
GlobalPort is not in as dire a strait, but badly needs a victory to bounce back from a 99-79 humiliation from TNT.
“Regroup, bounce back from a blowout loss,” said Baculi.
Against the Tropang Texters the Batang Pier gave up 96 shots, highlighting what Baculi pointed out is his team’s inability to make stops. “We have to work on our defense. We allow too many points (92.25) in our last four games,” he stated.
For Baculi, the Bolts should be handled with extra care. “We respect Meralco. It is a good team,” he said.
There is a subplot to the encounter since the teams figured in a big pre-conference trade that sent Sol Mercado, Kelly Nabong, Yousif Aljamal and JP Belencion to GlobalPort for Vic Manuel, Rey Guevarra and Josh Vanlandingham, plus a 2015 first round pick.
Gregorio said the process of improvement goes on for his team and the current bumps are to be expected. “We are focused on improving ourselves,” he said.
“When we made changes one week before the start we braced ourselves for turbulence early on. Perspectives-wise, things could have been worse. But the mere fact we’ve won one and all our games are close shaves somehow bolster my belief that there is light.”
That almost came against Petron, when Meralco came charging back from a 22-point third quarter deficit and made it a tight game.
The Bolts could finally close another game out and the Batang Pier could be prey. It would take a lot of doing, as Gregorio himself admitted.
“GlobalPort is a different team. They are so athletic and we have to match their energy level,” said Gregorio. “We will do whatever is possible to change our fortunes and come back on the winning track.” (NC)
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