SITUATION CRITICAL
THE routes Meralco and Barako Bull are headed for in the PLDT Home Tvolution PBA Commissioner’s Cup remains unclear.
To get where they want to go, the Bolts and the Energy must pave their own path while trying to push the other to a rocky road in their collision Friday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
The protagonists will go into the game armed with an acute sense of urgency and for good reason.
Meralco is gunning for a win that would not only snap it out of a two-game slide but also move it into solo fifth-running spot.
Barako is in direr straits, needing to win over Meralco and against GlobalPort on Sunday to get out of ninth spot and boost its chances of making the playoffs reserved for the top eight teams.
Main reason why Bolts coach Ryan Gregorio and Energy counterpart Bong Ramos each has a clear-cut idea on how this game is going to be.
“It is a very important game for us and also Meralco. It is going to be a battle. It will be a battle,” stressed Ramos.
“Survival mode for both teams,” countered Gregorio, whose team winds up the eliminations phase against San Mig Super Coffee on Monday.
“We know the importance of the game. We want to avoid complications. We must win.”
Josh Dollard, averaging 34.0 points and 15.43 rebounds per game, is again expected to lead Barako’s charge. But the support by the Energy’s locals should be critical and that’s where the likes of Willie Miller, Denok Miranda, JC Intal and Ronjay Buenafe come in.
The way Dorian Pena, Willie Wilson and Dave Marcelo play defense should also be pivotal, more so now that Darnell Jackson should be in better shape and expected to come up with a much more explosive and sustained performance than in his debut game.
In a 78-88 loss to Barangay Ginebra two Wednesdays ago, the replacement for Brian Butch tallied 25 points and 18 rebounds but faded in the stretch against the defense of Kings counterpart Josh Powell.
Jared Dillinger, who was nursing a bad back, and John Wilson, fully recovered from a bout with the flu, are also fit and raring to go, giving Gregorio additional optimism.
“We are finally playing with a complete roster. Dillinger is healthy and Wilson has fully recovered. It is very important that we have the compliment of a full roster if we wish to go deep in the playoffs,” said Gregorio.
And to hurdle Barako, itself coming off a 71-78 loss to defending champion Alaska also last April 2.
“Barako is always a dangerous foe,” said Gregorio. “We are ready to compete until the final buzzer.” (NC)
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