Meralco coach says Bolts are better team now than before; ready vs Kings

Credit to Author: Tempo Desk| Date: Tue, 24 Dec 2019 06:07:18 +0000

BY JONAS TERRADO

Meralco head coach Norman Black (MB photo | Rio Leonelle Deluvio)

The Meralco Bolts will come into a third PBA Governors’ Cup Finals showdown against Barangay Ginebra San Miguel with new pieces they hope will finally erase the bitter memory of falling short in their two previous meetings.

Coach Norman Black is confident that center Raymond Almazan, swingman Allein Maliksi and rookie forward Bong Quinto can provide the depth the Bolts needed in order to beat Ginebra after failed tries in the 2016 and 2017 editions of the season-ending conference.

“Obviously, Almazan, Maliksi and Quinto have added to our depth compared when we faced Ginebra in the past so they made us a better team,” Black said after Meralco defeated TNT KaTropa 89-78 in the deciding fifth game of their semifinal duel at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City.

Of the three, Quinto emerged as one of the heroes of Monday’s do-or-die affair, scoring eight of his 19 points in the fourth to help the Bolts pull away.

AWESOME: Meralco’s Chris Newsome is fouled by TNT import KJ McDaniels during their knockout match for the last finals berth in the PBA Governors’ Cup Monday at the Ynares Center in Antipolo. The Bolts grounded the KaTropa, 89-78, to advance to the finals.

Though struggling throughout the semis, Almazan was one of the key reasons why Meralco was in good form since the start of the conference with the presence in the paint.

Maliksi, acquired from Blackwater last October, has shown his capability to contribute despite Black’s belief that the former member of San Mig Super Coffee’s Grand Slam team in 2014 has yet to fully adjust to the new surroundings.

Black thinks that the two veterans will be able to make an impact in the Finals which opens Jan. 8 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Game 2 is set Jan. 10 at the Quezon Convention Center in Lucena City, with the Big Dome hosting Games 3 and 4 on Jan. 12 and 15.

Game 5, if necessary, will be played at the Mall of Asia Arena on Jan. 17 while the cavernous Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan is set to hold Games 6 and 7 on Jan.
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