MERALCO Bolts gun for their second straight victory as they take on the TNT Tropang Giga in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.

Game time is set at ¹7:30 p.m., following the curtainraiser pitting the Terrafirma Dyip and the Phoenix Fuel Masters in Asia’s first pay-for-play basketball league.

The Luigi Trillo-mentored Bolts are looking to sustain their momentum following a convincing 88-83 win over Hong Kong Eastern last Sunday.

The 1-2 punch of Akil Mitchell and Bong Quinto led the Bolts’ victory as they finished with 31 and 16 points, respectively.

Mitchel went 12-of-25 shooting from the field, along with 13 rebounds, seven steals, and five assists in 41 minutes of action while Quinto added 16 points and four rebounds.

The Tropang Giga last played on December 19, when they secured a 109-93 victory against the Blackwater Bossing at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Malate, Manila.

Coach Chot Reyes and his squad face an uphill battle with a 2-2 record, while the Bolts hold a more comfortable 4-2 standing, keeping them within striking distance of the league’s frontrunners: NorthPort (6-1), Rain or Shine (4-1), Converge (6-2), Barangay Ginebra (5-2), and Eastern (6-3).

Both teams are gearing up for a fierce showdown, eager to gain momentum as they head into the critical stretch of the single-round-robin eliminations.

In the other match, Phoenix is determined to turn things around in the new year but faces a challenging first step against the unpredictable Terrafirma in their upcoming encounter.

“Terrafirma is playing really well,” said Phoenix coach Jamike Jarin in an interview posted on the PBA website.

“In their last game they really pushed Rain or Shine,” added Jarin.

Phoenix is coming off a 105-116 loss to Converge last December 19, which derailed the Fuel Masters’ bid to build on their breakthrough 105-99 upset over the previously unbeaten NorthPort just two days earlier.

“We need to bring our A-game and hopefully after 48 minutes we’ll get our second victory,” Jarin said

AUTHOR PROFILE

Robert Andaya