DAVIS IN QUESTION AS LEADING BOLTS TAKE ON ROAD WARRIORS
Has Josh Davis recovered from the trauma of his bad fall and is he ready to be back in action?
For Meralco coach Norman Black, that’s the key question as they look to bounce back from their loss to the San Miguel Beermen the last time out and hang onto the lead when they tangle with the NLEX Road Warriors in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum Wednesday night.
Game time is at 7 p.m. with the Road Warriors, on the other hand, seeking a second straight win to tie the Kia Carnival at eighth place at 3-4.
“Josh is still suffering from his hard fall, so a lot will depend on how he recovers,” said Black.
“We are looking to bounce back from our setback in the last game, and stay on top of the standings. It will be tough because NLEX is coming off a morale-boosting win over San Miguel last Tuesday,” Black also said.
Despite the loss to the Beermen, the Bolts remain atop the heap with a 5-1 win-loss record. But at least six teams are right behind them with the Talk n Text Tropang Texters at 5-2, the Barako Bull Energy and the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters at 4-2 and the Purefoods Star Hotshots, the Barangay Ginebra Kings and the GlobalPort Batang Pier at 4-3.
The Bolts and the Beermen were engaged in a tight match when Davis fell hard on the floor after being soaring high to block a shot by June Mar Fajardo midway through the second quarter.
Davis failed to return to the game and the Bolts suffered their first loss after five straight wins in the mid-season tourney.
The Road Warriors, meanwhile, pulled off a feat they narrowly missed against the Tropang Texters Friday, coming alive in the second half and overcoming a huge deficit as they jolted the San Miguel Beermen, 100-93, Sunday.
Refusing to quit after falling behind by 21 midway through the third quarter, the Road Warriors, through the heroics of Al Thornton, Jonas Villanueva and Mark Borboran, turned the game around towards the end and went on to claim the stirring victory that tied them with the idle Kia Carnival at ninth place at 2-4.
It could have been a third straight win for the Road Warriors if not for Talk n Text guard Jayson Castro’s game-winner at the buzzer, quashing NLEX’s fightback from a 29-point deficit. The Texters escaped with a 98-96 nail-biter.
If Davis is unhurt, he is likely to figure in an exciting showdown with Thornton. (SB)
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