CHRIS Banchero and Brandon Bates were among the Meralco players who missed the early part of the conference due to injuries but have now returned and ready to join the Bolts' late push to the PBA Commissioner’s Cup playoffs.
Both players made an impact in the past two games after recovering from hamstring injuries. Banchero had a conference-high 25 points in the Bolts’ 111-94 win over NorthPort last January 14, and Bates had eight points, seven rebounds, and four blocks in their 105-91 victory against NLEX last January 10.
“I had torn my hamstring in the tune-up game against Blackwater,” Banchero shared. “I had just a small tear in there. The hamstring’s always tricky.”
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“I had a hamstring strain,” Bates said. “Sort of rushed myself back a little bit too early as well. It’s part of being a professional athlete. I wasn’t really probably listening to my body as much as I should have.”
Bates called himself a ‘sick’o’ for rushing himself too early.
“Around October,” said Bates when asked when he sustained the injury. “So literary right before the season started. I pushed myself probably a little bit too hard but you have to be kind of sick’o to play basketball professionally.”
The duo's return comes at a perfect time as Meralco fights for a top two spot in the quarterfinals with a 6-3 win-loss record. However, they will have to go through San Miguel, Barangay Ginebra, and Magnolia in the final stretch.
The Bolts will face the Beermen on Saturday in Candon, Ilocos Sur.
Defense is Bates' calling card
Bates said he's eager to make his mark on defense again.
“That’s my job. I'm a defensive guy. I’m never going to be like a focal point on offense. So I really have to earn my minutes by playing defense. That's what I want from me. So if I want to keep staying in the rotation, keep playing those minutes, I have to really lock in on defense and either get blocks, tips, steals, anything I can,” said Bates.
For his part, Banchero is looking forward to seeing the Bolts compete against the best teams in the league with a complete roster.
“We are almost complete. And it’s good to be complete coming towards that and coming towards the playoffs. I think it’s really good for us to go against these tough teams, these top teams, because it’ll prepare us for the playoffs. And we need that.
“Of course, it’s a tough schedule anytime you’re playing Ginebra, San Miguel, or Magnolia, but it’ll show where we’re at as a team and it’ll prepare us definitely for the playoffs. We need to be playing our best basketball,” said Banchero.
Bates said the Meralco coaching staff has emphasized the need to regain the defensive fortitude that they've long been known for.
“That’s our calling card,” said Bates. “So the coaching staff really, really hammered home to us, we have to play defense. Our offense is never going to be our focal point. Meralco is always known as a defensive team. So we have to lock in on that.
"So if you want to play, and that’s what the coaching staff say as well, if you want to play, you have to play defense. Otherwise, you're going to sit on the bench.”
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