Meralco remains determined to break its losing streak against “Barangay Ginebra” this PBA season, as the Bolts get another opportunity to claim their first win against their longtime rivals. This time, the stakes are even higher, as they face off in the quarterfinals of the “Commissioner’s Cup.”
On Wednesday, Meralco and Ginebra will clash for the fifth time this season, opening their best-of-three quarterfinal series. The Bolts are eager to rewrite the script after suffering a painful sweep in their last playoff showdown against the Gin Kings in the “Governors’ Cup” quarterfinals. But for Meralco, the past is behind them, and they see this upcoming series as a fresh challenge and a shot at redemption.
Head coach Luigi Trillo emphasized that this is a new battle for the Bolts, who view the quarterfinals not only as a chance to finally overcome Ginebra but also as a crucial step in their bid for a second championship in just three conferences.
“It’s 0-0. No shortcuts. We have to go through the best. Whether you face Ginebra now or face them in the finals, we have to go through these tough teams. It happens that it’s Ginebra. We just have to be ready,” said Trillo.
The Bolts have already suffered a tough loss to Ginebra earlier this conference, falling 91-87 in an elimination round matchup where both teams relied heavily on their bench players. Despite Ginebra missing key starters for most of the game, Meralco still fell short, a result that Trillo and his team haven’t forgotten.
“We remember very, very fondly,” said Trillo. “We’ve got our asses kicked. We got swept. Last game, they also beat us.”
Meralco is using those past disappointments as fuel for this upcoming battle. However, Trillo acknowledged that this current Ginebra squad is significantly stronger than the one that eliminated them in the last playoffs.
“They’ve added a ton of dominant players that you built the team around. You’ve got Troy Rosario, [Jamie] Malonzo, the second pick of the draft is back. You’ve got (RJ) Abarrientos,” said Trillo. “That’s an All-Star na national team unit. And then, you’ve got Brownlee.”
Despite the challenge ahead, Trillo remains confident in his squad.
“We like that. We are excited about it. We want to bring it. We know it’s not going to be easy,” said Trillo. “This team (Ginebra) doesn’t only play well offensively. They punish you defensively with the way they’re disciplined enough to play it through.”
Meralco understands that they are up against a team firing on all cylinders, but Trillo believes his players have what it takes to compete.
“We have to just be ready. They’re (Ginebra) playing really great basketball, they’ve got so much going for them, discipline-wise, offense, defense, so we have our hands full. But we are capable also,” said the Meralco mentor.
Akil Mitchell Injury Update
Meralco’s import, Akil Mitchell, is expected to be fresh for the quarterfinals after missing the team’s last two games due to back spasms. Trillo revealed that Mitchell has also been dealing with minor injuries in addition to the broken nose he sustained earlier in the conference, which required him to wear a protective mask during games.
“It’s not only his back. His knee is there, he’s got some things going on with his system… But you know, it’s just not going to be about Akil in this series. The other guys have to show up. They’ve got to show up – Bong (Quinto), New (Chris Newsome), AB (Aaron Black), CB (Chris Banchero), Cliff (Hodge), Brandon (Bates),” said Trillo.
With their playoff hopes hanging in the balance, Meralco knows that overcoming Ginebra will require contributions from every player on the roster. The Bolts are embracing the challenge, fully aware that this series could define their season.
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