The PBA will welcome the new year with a crucial twin bill featuring the guest team of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup, the reigning Philippine Cup champs, and two of the league’s most popular teams.
Meralco Looks to Arrest Skid as It Takes on Eastern
The PBA’s first game of 2025 will see the Meralco Bolts take on Hong Kong Eastern in a game with big playoff implications. Meralco, after winning its first three, have now lost back-to-back to drop to sixth in the standings. Eastern, on the other hand, is in the upper half and virtually in a tie with the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters for no. 2 (along with the Converge FiberXers).
Meralco is hoping not only to arrest their slide but to also get its full complement of players as the team, according to Luigi Trillo, has been “a little bit bugbog” due to injuries and its hectic schedule.
The cavalry is returning one by one, with Allein Maliksi, Chris Banchero, and Akil Mitchell returning for the Bolts already.
“The problem is we can’t get a full (lineup). May injuries, but tanggap namin yun,” said Trillo. “We have new guys coming back, but sometimes those things can hurt you more rather than help you. Kasi kakapa pa sila. And they’re still finding their rhythm.”
Mitchell and company will have had extra time to find their rhythm thanks to the league’s Holiday break. Meralco fans can only hope that’s enough time as the Bolts will be taking on the well-oiled machined that is Eastern.
Ginebra, San Miguel Renew Rivalry as Playoffs Beckon
In the nightcap, the San Miguel Beermen and Barangay Ginebra San Miguel will go at it with big stakes on the line. A win for Ginebra keeps it level with the early leaders. A win for San Miguel moves them to the upper half of the standings.
Ginebra might have a slight advantage going into this massive showdown, thanks to the Christmas-Day miracle it authored against the Magnolia Hotshots. That thrilling win, according to Tim Cone, relieved some pressure off of Ginebra as a loss would’ve made this matchup against San Miguel a must-win.
“It takes a little bit of pressure on us because we remain towards the group on top because if we lost, we would drop down to the middle or the bottom,” Cone said of his wards’ comeback triumph against the Hotshots. “So, it takes the pressure off us. We’re coming to San Miguel feeling confident and comfortable with our game. We do that, and we usually perform pretty well against them.”
San Miguel, on the other hand, is coming off a loss to Eastern and is right smack at the middle of the pack. They will look to make their move now, and a win against a contender like Ginebra might be the spark the Beermen need to go off on a streak.
A confident Ginebra versus a hungry San Miguel is no doubt a recipe for an explosive showdown.
