Meralco Bolts’ Chris Newsome during a game against San Miguel Beermen in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup in Candon City. –PBA IMAGES
Meralco, in one fell swoop on Saturday night, took down a traditional powerhouse, extended its winning streak and moved closer to notching a playoff bonus in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup.
Yet, coach Luigi Trillo elected on keeping their tunnel vision—and for a pretty good reason.
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“All we did was make it to the quarters,” the champion coach told the Inquirer the morning after the Bolts’ 100-93 triumph over San Miguel at Candon City Arena in Ilocos Sur. “I don’t think we’ve cemented our place in the top six [yet].”
With a 7-3 mark, the Bolts have zoomed to No. 2 in the standings, tied with Converge, visiting Hong Kong and NorthPort. And Rain or Shine is also within sniffing range of joining that logjam as they chase leading TNT.
To protect Meralco from any complications, Trillo has set his sights on scoring a sweep of their last two games as well. But the Bolts mentor has seen enough battles to know that it’s a task easier said than done.
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Especially against the squad, his crew will be playing on Jan. 29.
“Hard games ahead. Ginebra and Magnolia [our final games] are also fighting for positions in the quarters,” he said.
Fortunately, Meralco is looking more primed than ever for such a challenge. The Bolts are finally coming together at full strength, and Chris Banchero has proven as its biggest shot in the arm since returning to the fold.
Coach’s player
“CB is great to coach. People don’t see it, but he is one of our leaders on the court,” Trillo said of his ward who accounted for 19 points and delivered the finishing blows against the Beermen. “He listens, and he has been the most consistent guy [since] our championship conference.”
Aside from Banchero picking up where he left off, Trillo is also drawing optimism from the cohesion his squad has been able to manufacture by playing in both the PBA and the East Asia Super League.
Meralco is 2-2 in the regional showcase and is still in the running for a spot in the crossover semifinals with two more games left in its schedule.
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“We have our hands full with the PBA and EASL. But we intend to do well in both,” said Trillo. “We know we can also compete with the best in Asia. Our staff believes in our guys. And I feel they believe in each other, too.” INQ
