SERIOUS BUSINESS

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DESPITE having a campaign thus far that is vastly different from what coach Tim Cone envisioned San Mig Coffee has managed to be cop a very comfortable spot in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup playoffs.

It’s now time for his Mixers to buckle down to real hard work.

The defending champions try to pick up from where they left off when they tangle anew with Meralco Friday at the start of the mid-season tourney’s quarterfinals at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

“We’ve scrambled all conference long and we’re thankful to get a top six seeding. But that is just a starting point for us,” said Cone going into the first game of the best-of-three duel.

“We don’t expect to have it end there for us,” he stressed.

San Mig started out the conference by losing its first three matches but won its last three games to finish the elimination round with an 8-6 record that gave it the No. 4 seeding and the matchup with Meralco, which wound up at fifth.

Two of those wins came at the expense of Meralco, including a 97-90 decision last Saturday, but Bolts coach Ryan Gregorio maintains his crew has learned from those defeats as well.

“Despite our lower seeding and two setbacks against San Mig in the elimination round we are determined to compete and find ways to win,” said Gregorio.

“It is true that they have our number. As such we have to play really smart. Our offense must be efficient and out defensive coverages must be intact.”

Cone said his charges must expect a very tough stance from a Meralco crew in what should be a critical match.

“We just played Meralco in our last game so we’re both familiar with each other. They are a tough matchup for us with (Eric) Dawson, (Macmac) Cardona and (Chris) Ross,” said Cone.

“It’s a short series so that makes Game One key.”

Gregorio unwittingly echoed one of Cone’s points. “Matchups will be critical,” he said.

“They seem to know our weak points and they pounce on them. We have to be confident that our counters will work.,” added Gregorio.

Since buying out the Sta. Lucia Realty franchise in 2010 the Bolts have only made the semifinals once, during last season’s Governors Cup. But that was when there were no quarterfinals and six teams advanced to the semis from the elims.

“The challenge, really, is to get over the hump,” said Gregorio following his team’s 118-116 overtime win over Rain or Shine last Wednesday.

“Hard but still achievable. We just have to outwork them (Mixers) on both ends. That is how we can level the playing field.”

Dawson, who scored 50 points and 14 rebounds against Rain or Shine, is one big question mark, though. He hurt his knee in the last two minutes of extra time and results of the magnetic resonance imaging tests would be had only later Thursday.

“He is confident that he can play. But we still have to depend on the findings of Dr. (Raul) Canlas,” related Gregorio of Dawson, who leads the conference in scoring with 29.3 per game, to go with his 15.4 rebounds. (NC)

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