Must-win clash for bottom squads Mahindra, Meralco
Both Meralco and Mahindra have had their share of heart-breaking losses and they figure enough is enough, especially in this most crucial juncture in the Smart Bro-PBA Philippine Cup.
That’s why the Bolts and Enforcers, each in a must-win situation, are expected to go all-out when they tangle Saturday in a Petron-sponsored offering at Mall of Asia Arena at 3 p.m.
If not for three two-point losses, Meralco would have been right in the middle of the 12-team pack and not at the cellar with a 1-6 slate.
The same is true for Mahindra, which has lost three games by no more than four points and now looking to salvage as many wins as it can to gain inclusion among the top 10 teams advancing to the next round.
Like Black, assistant coach Chito Victolero could only hope his Enforcers have taken to heart the lessons learned from those tough defeats as they embark on a make-or-break push.
“One of the more important games for us this conference,” said Victolero, chiefly calling the shots in lieu of playing-coach Manny Pacquiao.
“We need to play together and we need to play for 48 minutes, finish the game stronger. We need to sustain our game on both ends for 48 minutes. We need to execute, especially in the endgame,” he stressed.
At first glance, Mahindra seems to be the slight favorite as it lost those close games to pre-tournament favorites Talk N Text, Alaska and Ginebra and won over NLEX, which beat Meralco.
Meralco, on the other hand, lost squeakers to Blackwater and Barako Bull, both considered lightweights in pre-tourney rankings, but saw a four-point win over fellow struggler Star neutralized by a 91-93 loss to NLEX just last Tuesday.
Yet once the chemistry Black is hoping for finally comes and stays with the Bolts then they could turn the tables on the Enforcers and boost their own morale for their stretch run.
Meralco sure has the tools, led by Gary David, Chris Newsome and Rabeh Al-Hussaini. Once the likes of Jared Dillinger, Reynel Hugnatan and Bryan Faundo hit their stride then Mahindra should be in for a long night.
Expect LA Revilla, Aldrech Ramos, Mark Yee, KG Canaleta, Bradwyn Guinto and Karl Dehesa to lead the Enforcers’ charge.
Meralco next takes on defending champion San Miguel Beer, Star, GlobalPort and Blackwater while Mahindra still has Alaska, GlobalPort and Rain or Shine in its immediate calendar.
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