#PBA2015 PREVIEW: BARAKO BULL ENERGY vs MERALCO BOLTS – ARRESTING SKIDS

Right now, Barako Bull is in a three-way tie for sixth place with Ginebra and GlobalPort. For them to continue threatening to move to the next round, the Energy cannot afford another loss. After a 3-0 start, they’ve lost 4 of their last 5 games and are in danger of maybe dropping off the quarterfinal picture. They need to win here to arrest their skid and move up in the standings. A win also puts them back in the thick of playoff contention.

On the other hand, Meralco is in a tie for second place with ROS. They’ve lost back-to-back after going 5-0 to start the conference and are in danger of sliding further down. With the health of Josh Davis still a little questionable, it’ll be interesting to see how Meralco plays in this game. A win puts them in a tie for first place with TNT, while a loss bumps them down to a tie for fourth spot with Purefoods Star.

Here are some things to watch in this game:

1. BIG MAN IN THE MIDDLE

Import Solomon Alabi seems to have had the same kind of effect that PJ Ramos has had on Kia. Alabi has plugged Barako’s hole in the middle and has made the Energy a lot more balanced. If he can continue to be a stabilizing and dominant force in the slot for Barako, they can pull off another upset here.

Alabi vs SMB: 25pts, 24rebs, 6asts, 2stls, 4blks, 10/17 FGs

2. BREAKING OUT: JC INTAL

One guy who has been stepping up for Barako Bull is JC Intal. Intal has slowly become the team’s best local player. He’s putting up career-highs in averages and hasn’t backed down even against some of the best players at his position. In his last game, he even outplayed the likes of Marcio Lassiter and Chris Lutz.

Intal vs SMB: 25pts, 6rebs, 3asts, 1stl, 1blk, 4 triples, 50.0 FG%

Intal stats: 14.0ppg, 4.6rpg, 2.5apg, 1.1spg, 1.6 triples per game, 31.7 3pt%

3. POWER PAIRING

In Barako’s last game, the power forward pair of Dave Marcelo and Jake Pascual did quite well, shooting a combined 10/15 from the floor to score a combined 21 points. They helped out in the interior, and though they ultimately lost, this is still a promising sign for the Energy.

Dave Marcelo vs SMB: 11pts, 2rebs, 1stl, 5/7 FGs

Jake Pascual vs SMB: 10pts, 5rebs, 1ast, 5/8 FGs

4. MERCADO GOES COLD

Sol Mercado, for his part, underwhelmed in Barako’s last game against SMB. Mercado entered the game averaging gaudy numbers, but he struggled against his former team. If Sol can summon his usual productive self, Barako has a solid chance against Meralco.

Mercado stats entering the game vs SMB: 12.8ppg, 3.8rpg, 4.8apg, 38.5 FG%

Mercado vs SMB: 4pts, 2rebs, 3asts, 1/13 FGs

5. EL GRANADA

Gary David exploded in the MER’s last game against sister team NLX, but even his shooting wasn’t enough to give the victory to the Bolts. David is seeing a bit of a resurgence in his production this conference, but the big question is can he sustain this pace as the elims wear on and the quarterfinals beckon?

vs NLX: 28pts, 1reb, 1ast, 2triples, 10/19 FGs

*It’s clear that David’s main job is just to score, and though it would be nice for him to make his presence felt in other areas, if he can score 20+ points in each game, that would be great for Meralco.

6. DAVIS RETURNS

Import Josh Davis, who exited early against SMB with an injury, returned to action against NLEX. He put up a nice double-double against the Road Warriors, but even that wasn’t enough to notch the W and even he wasn’t good enough to stop NLEX import Al Thornton. If Davis has recovered well during the All-Star break, then maybe just maybe we’ll see him spry and athletic once again.

vs NLX: 19pts, 11rebs, 1ast, 6/11 FGs

Comm Cup stats: 19.9ppg, 16.3rpg, 1.6apg, 2.7spg, 1.1bpg, 44.0 FG%

7. COOLNESS

Cool Cat Mike Cortez, despite being on the cusp of 35 years old, still manages to push himself to be a solid contributor. In MER’s last game, he started and played 34 solid minutes. If he can do the same against Barako tonight, the Bolts will probably have the upper hand.

Comm Cup stats: 10.2ppg, 3.2rpg, 3.7apg, 39.7 FG%

vs NLX: 10pts, 6rebs, 3asts, 40.0 FG%

8. CONTROL THE BOARDS

One huge problem MER had in its last game, however, was rebounding. They weren’t able to keep the Road Warriors off the glass and were outrebounded, 52-43. They gave up 15 offensive boards, which definitely hurt their chances. If guys like Davis, Cliff Hodge, Sean Anthony, and Reynel Hugnatan can control the boards against BAR, then the Bolts should have the inside track to a win.

Rebs last game: NLX 52, MER 43

Off Rebs last game: NLX 15, MER 9

*All Road Warriors grabbed at least 2 rebounds

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