The Meralco Bolts are in a bit of a slide, but head coach Luigi Trillo is undeterred nonetheless.
In fact, it looks like Trillo saw enough good things in the Bolts’ 95-89 loss to the Magnolia Hotshots to be confident heading into their do-or-die showdown on Saturday. That doesn’t mean he’s discounting what Magnolia did right at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
“Magnolia started to make their shots. They had their points of attack. They were attacking the mismatches. You give them credit, they came out ready,” Trillo pointed out. “They’re in their flow also. LA’s done a great job with the team. They’ve been 0-3, then they won seven out of eight. You can see they’re confident.”
Meralco Battles Back
The Hotshots were ready, indeed, and they got into a flow in the middle quarters, outscoring the Bolts, 49-35, to build a 16-point lead heading into the final frame.
Then, Meralco battled back and even took an 84-83 lead thanks to a Chris Newsome takeover. That’s why Trillo remains unfazed by the loss.
“We did enough to get back. Some of our guys did good enough to come back,” Trillo said. “And then they kind of tightened up a bit. I think [Clint] Chapman hit a big three and gave them some room.”
The trey Trillo was referring to was the one Magnolia import Clint Chapman hit at the 2:37 mark. The game was tied at that point, and that booming triple gave the Hotshots a lead they would never relinquish as the Bolts missed four of their final five field goal attempts.
A Bolts Fight Back Loading?
Now, it appears Trillo and the Bolts have their eyes set firmly on Saturday. And the fiery coach is anticipating a 50-50 ball game—that is, if Meralco can bring the effort required to beat Magnolia.
“Nothing’s going to be given in the playoffs. This is a high-character team. They’re deep. They’re well-coached. We’ve got to come back on Saturday with a better effort,” Trillo said. “It’ll be a game on Saturday. Fifty-fifty at this point. I have the highest respect for those guys there. They deserve this win. We’ll be ready for Saturday.”
Meralco and Magnolia go at it again on Saturday at the Ynares Center in Antipolo. Tip-off is at 5:15 p.m. The winner will punch a ticket to the PBA Commissioner’s Cup semis.
