PACESETTER VS TAILENDER IN CDO
Meralco stakes its unbeaten run against beleaguered Philippine Cup champion San Miguel Beer as they meet in a duel of pacesetter versus tailender in a Petron Blaze-sponsored road game in the PBA Philippine Cup at the Xavier U Gym in Cagayan de Oro Saturday.
The Bolts lead the pack at 5-0 while the Beermen are mired in the cellar at 0-4, but San Miguel is virtually making a new start with former Rain or Shine import Arizona Reid.
“Just like our last game versus GlobalPort, we enter this game needing to be able to make in-game adjustments,” said Meralco coach Norman Black.
“We know what Arizona Reid can do as a player, but we have no idea how coach Leo (Austria) will fit him into the SMB system,” Black pointed out. “One thing for sure we will not treat them like a 0-4 team because we know how strong they are.”
The Bolts intend to defend the best they can as they expect an explosive performance by Reid and the Beermen.
“For us, playing sound defense and bringing a high energy level to the game will be the keys,” said Black.
San Miguel takes a chance with Reid as the Beermen failed to get into the groove with Ronald Roberts, suffering humbling losses to Kia, Barangay Ginebra, Blackwater and Alaska.
Reid, a two-time PBA Best Import awardee with Rain or Shine, is also set to reinforce the Beermen in the Governors’ Cup. The former High Point U hitman was measured at 6-3 ¼.
With Reid as import, Austria would be able to give June Mar Fajardo and Arwind Santos the minutes they played in their all-Filipino tourney title run.
Reid, however, would chop the playing time of Chris Lutz, Marcio Lassiter and Ronald Tubid.
Needless to say, San Miguel is now ready to gamble at 0-4.
But Black insists they will not take the Beermen lightly.
The Bolts are now on the threshold of the playoffs after stringing up victories over the Gin Kings, the Kia Carnival, the Talk n Text Tropang Texters, the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters and the GlobalPort Batang Pier.
Josh Davis asked for the game’s final play to be in his hands and delivered as the Bolts squeaked past the Batang Pier, 86-84, the last time out. (SB)
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