Streaking teams cross paths as Meralco and Magnolia both stake their winning runs on the line when they face each other in the resumption of the 2018 Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup.
Both carrying two-game winning streaks, the Bolts (3-1) and the Hotshots (2-1) face off in a highly-competitive bout at 7 p.m. at the Smart Araneta Coliseum today.
In the curtain-raiser, erstwhile TNT KaTropa (3-1) attempts to get back on track when it meets still winless Blackwater (0-5) at 4:30 p.m.
Slowly but surely, Meralco and Magnolia have both raised their level of play, resulting into victories in their previous assignments.
After losing their opener, the Hotshots have regained their momentum from their finals stint in the Philippine Cup to rack up two wins in a row.
They tripped GlobalPort and Columbian Dyip, respectively, over the past week and are now gaining steam.
However, today’s game against the Bolts will be Magnolia import Vernon Macklin’s last as he is bound for the NBL in China for greener pastures. Before exiting though, Macklin wants to deliver another win for his current squad.
“I’m still here in Magnolia so that’s my focus. I want to get another win for the team,” said Macklin, who also acknowledged that he’ll have a tough opposition in Meralco’s former Best Import Arinze Onuaku. “I know Arinze (Onuaku) and he’s a very good player. It will be a good challenge.”
On the other side, Onuaku and the Bolts scored big in their last game as they gave Philippine Cup champion San Miguel Beer a tough time with a 93-85 victory.
After tasting its first defeat the last time out, the Tropang Texters will look to add to the woes of the hapless Elite.
Despite the good start, TNT, which lost to Alaska, 110-100, last Sunday, decided to let go of import Jeremy Tyler. As of this report, the Tropang Texters are still in the process of finding a replacement as management wasn’t satisfied with Tyler’s play despite the team’s winning record.