MERALCO and San Miguel face each other in a game with crucial playoff implications in the PBA 50th Season Commissioner's Cup. Also on the schedule is the match-up between also-ran Macau against Blackwater.
Here is a preview.
MACAU VS. BLACKWATER
When: Tuesday, April 28. 5:15 p.m.
Where: Ninoy Aquino Stadium
Out to finish strong
Already out of contention for a quarterfinal berth, Macau looks to finish the conference strong beginning with its game against Blackwater. The Black Knights lost to TNT, 119-112, last Friday to go down to 1-8 and drop out of contention for a quarterfinal berth.
Even though they lost to the reigning Commissioner's Cup champions, the Black Knights got solid contributions from Phoenix Shackelford and Damian Chongqui. Shackelford had 31 points and 13 rebounds, while Chongqui had 29 points, five rebounds, and eight assists in the loss to the Tropang 5G.
Revive dimming playoff chances
Blackwater looks to keep its flickering playoff hopes alive with a win over Macau. The Bossing fell short of pulling off an upset over Barangay Ginebra, 115-108, last Friday to drop to 2-7. The Bossing have been pulling off competitive games under new head coach Pat Aquino, but moral victories can't cut it, at this point of the conference.
Andrade getting major role
BJ Andrade continues to play major minutes under new Aquino, including their last game against Ginebra where he played 41 minutes and 15 seconds. He responded with eight points while shooting 4-of-7 from the field and was a +12 when he is on the floor.
MERALCO VS. SAN MIGUEL
When: Tuesday, April 28. 7:30 p.m.
Where: Ninoy Aquino Stadium
Meralco returns to the court
Meralco returns to action for the first time since April 17 when the Bolts lost in overtime to NLEX, 104-101, at the Ynares Center-Montalban. The Bolts are in fourth place with a 5-2 win-loss record, and will look to stay within the Top Four where twice-to-beat incentives will be given.
San Miguel on the bubble
San Miguel looks to even its win-loss record on Tuesday in its clash against Meralco. The Beermen are in a share of seventh place with Magnolia at 4-5, but a defeat will be crucial as it opens the door for Converge (4-6) to sneak into the top eight. The Beermen are on a slump, losing three of their last four games after their 126-120 defeat over Blackwater last Wednesday.
Meralco squanders lead
Meralco lost to NLEX even though the Bolts were already up by as many as 17 points in the game. The Bolts were outscored by the Road Warriors, 25-13, in the fourth quarter. For a team that is a perennial playoff contender, it was quite unusual for Meralco to blow a big lead. They will look to bounce back against SMB.
Little local support
The fourth quarter of San Miguel's loss to Blackwater saw Bennie Boatwright taking most of the scoring load when he scored 15 of the team's 26 points in that period. It was unusual for the reigning Philippine Cup champions that only June Mar Fajardo (6), Marcio Lassiter (3), and Cjay Perez (2) scored during that quarter. San Miguel’s locals will try to atone against Meralco.
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