#PBA2015 PREVIEW: MERALCO BOLTS vs PUREFOODS STAR HOTSHOTS – FIGHTING FOR FIRST

In their previous games, PUR and MER had contrasting results. MER lost to ALA and lost its footing at the top of the standings, falling to a tie for third place with ROS. PUR, meanwhile, had a big win over BAR and that propelled them to a tie for first place with TNT. This is PUR’s last game of the elims and they want to stay on top. They can do that by beating the Bolts and sending them down to fourth place. The Hotshots also want to sustain their winning run (they’ve won three in a row) heading to the quarterfinals. MER, on the other hand, wants recover after getting beaten by lower-ranked Alaska. After winning their first five games, MER has lost three of its last four games, so they need to get back on the winning track by winning over PUR. A win will put MER back into a tie for first place with TNT, while a loss will almost certainly mean they lose their chance at a twice-to-beat edge in the next round (unless they get tied with TNT and ROS, in which case MER should move up since they beat both teams; NLX can still finish as high as 7-4, though, so MER should be wary of its sister team as well).

Here are some things to watch in this game:

1. KAWHI NG PBA

Without a doubt, the biggest difference-maker for the Bolts has been Josh Davis. Davis has been a paragon of versatility for Meralco, leading them in scoring, rebounding, steals, and blocks. Because of the way he plays and because of his appearance, Davis has been compared to Kawhi Leonard of the San Antonio Spurs, and, well, he’s living up to that comparison so far. Now if only he can also lead the Bolts to a title…

Comm Cup stats: 22.8ppg, 16.7rpg, 2.0apg, 2.4spg, 1.2bpg, 47.3 FG%

vs ALA: 34pts, 17rebs, 4asts, 2stls, 1blk, 48.1 FG%

2. COOL CAT COMES THROUGH

One guy who stepped up for MER in their previous game was veteran playmaker Mike Cortez. The former DLSU Green Archer played really well, scoring 16 points , grabbing 6 rebounds, and handing out 3 assists, but he just had trouble containing Chris Banchero of Alaska, who also did well. Cortez has actually been playing really good basketball this conference, and if he can keep on being consistent, then Meralco should have a fighting chance.

Season stats: 7.2ppg, 3.1rpg, 2.8apg, 32.9 3pt%, 36.7 FG%

Comm Cup stats: 10.1ppg, 3.4rpg, 4.0apg, 26.7 3pt%, 38.6 FG%

3. THE HAWAIIAN PUNCH

Despite losing in their previous game, the Bolts saw a strong showing from veteran swingman Jared Dillinger. The former Gilas wingman did well against Alaska, scoring 15 points and handing out 4 assists. This was his best game of the conference so far — the first time he scored in double-figures in the Comm. Cup. Strangely enough, despite Dillinger’s scoring struggles, Meralco has been winning a lot of games, but, surely, they will need the Hawaiian-bred player to rediscover his offensive form if they want to get far.

Comm Cup stats: 5.7ppg, 3.0rpg, 0.9apg, 33.3 FG%, 15.9mpg

vs ALA: 15pts, 3rebs, 4asts, 1stl, 1blk, 50.0 FG%, 29 minutes played

4. MAKE THEM COUNT

Despite so many guys stepping up, MER lost to ALA in its last game because they were just unable to make the most of their scoring opportunities. MER was +23 in FG attempts, +7 in 3pt attempts, +2 in total rebounds, +12 in offensive boards and forced 22 ALA turnovers, but they still couldn’t capitalize. Against a very disciplined team like PUR, MER will have to make the most of every opportunity they can get.

FG%: 38/98 (38.8%)

3pt shooting: 5/22 (22.7%)

5. BEAST MODE BOWLES

PUR import Denzel Bowles has been pretty awesome for the Hotshots. He racked up a 34-17 double-double against BAR and was just practically unstoppable. Bowles has led PUR to a 3-1 record since he took over from Daniel Orton and they now have a chance to cement one of the top two seeds if they can win over MER. Bowles wasn’t around to help PUR win the Comm Cup title in 2014, so he’s very motivated to help the team defend it this time around.

Comm Cup stats: 32.5ppg, 13.8rebs, 4.0apg, 1.0spg, 2.8bpg, 44.8 FG%

vs BAR: 34pts, 17rebs, 2asts, 1stl, 2blks, 50.0 FG%

6. JOE DE VERSATILITY

Another guy who did really well for PUR in its last game was Joe Devance who, based on his performance, should maybe get the nickname Joe De Versatility. He filled the stat-sheet in that game, scoring, rebounding, assisting, and defending really well. He seems to relish being a small forward for PUR, especially since he has a nice touch form long range (he hit 3 treys in their last game). If he can continue contributing in so many areas, PUR will be extremely tough to beat.

Comm Cup stats: 9.5ppg, 6.3rpg, 2.7apg, 25.0 3pt%, 42.0 FG%

vs BAR: 15pts, 10rebs, 6asts, 3 triples, 54.5 FG%

7. MALIKSING MALIKSI

Young gun Allein Maliksi has also been doing really well for PUR. He has scored in double-digits five times so far this conference and has just been a tough match-up at the wings given his size, agility, and shooting ability. This guy is hitting 1.6 threes per game and just adds so much more offensive flexibility to an already versatile and balanced PUR roster. If he can put up good numbers again, the Hotshots should run away with a W here.

Comm Cup stats:  9.3ppg, 2.3rpg, 1.6 triples per game, 46.7 3pt%, 47.8 FG%

vs BAR: 13pts, 3rebs, 1 triple, 66.7 FG% in only 19 minutes

8. REBOUNDING DOMINANCE

One big reason for PUR’s big win over BAR was their rebounding dominance. PUR was +17 in rebounding against BAR and limited the Energy in terms of crashing the boards. No Energy player outside of Solomin Alabi got more than 4 rebounds. PUR, meanwhile, had 5 guys grab 4 or more boards. PUR is actually one of the best rebounding teams out there, grabbing 53.3 per game and allowing opponents just 47.3 for a +6.0 differential.

Rebounding: 53.3 (4th overall)

Rebs allowed: 47.3 (2nd overall)

Average difference: +6.0 (2nd overall behind Kia)

9. MARQUEE MATCH-UP: JAMES YAP VS GARY DAVID

The key match-up tonight will be between two of the best clutch shooters in the league — James Yap and Gary David. David has better numbers so far for the season, but we all know that Yap has a knack for hitting the biggest shots in the biggest moments. Which one will come to the fore and step up in this game? Let’s see.

Yap season stats: 11.2ppg, 2.8rpg, 1.1apg, 23.4 3pt%, 39.2 FG%

David season stats: 14.0ppg, 2.6rpg, 1.4apg, 35.6 3pt%, 42.5 FG%

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