A win remains elusive for Meralco in the PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup so far, dropping close games to Titan Ultra and Rain or Shine.
The Meralco Bolts are desperate for their first win of the season as they face the Blackwater Bossing in the PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup on Wednesday, Oct. 15, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Tip off is at 5:15pm.
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The Bolts enter the game at 0-2 after a tough opening stretch, including a 100-96 loss to Titan Ultra and a heartbreaking 96-95 overtime defeat to Rain or Shine.
Meralco struggled to contain Calvin Abueva in the loss to Titan Ultra, as the former Rookie of the Year dropped 41 points. The Bolts then squandered a significant lead against Rain or Shine.
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Despite solid performances from Raymond Almazan and Bong Quinto, the Bolts will be hoping to bounce back and grab that elusive win against Blackwater.
On the other hand, Blackwater is riding high after a dominant 107-87 win over Terrafirma. Despite missing young star Sedrick Barefield, the Bossing managed to get solid contributions from Christian David, RK Ilagan, and rookie Dalph Panopio.
With Barefield expected to return for the clash against Meralco, Blackwater is eager to build on its strong start to the season.
Meralco will need to tighten their defense and maintain composure down the stretch, especially with the return of Barefield, to avoid falling deeper into the hole. A win for the Bolts would kickstart their campaign and prevent a deeper losing skid.
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(With reports from Jan Ballesteros)
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[Editor’s note: This article was written by a member of the One Sports Digital with the help of AI, and then checked by the staff to ensure accuracy.]