Jul 30, 2021

Black says it will be a defensive battle as Bolts and Aces seek crucial win

MERALCO seeks to jump to solo third Saturday when it takes on Alaska in the second game of the 46th PBA Philippine Cup double-header at the Ynares Sports Arena.

The 3-1 Bolts, who are fresh from a 91-80 triumph over Phoenix, shoot for their fourth victory at 4:35 p.m. against the 2-2 Aces with coach Norman Black expecting a tough defensive battle.

"Alaska is coming off a big win last Wednesday so it should be a tough contest," said Black.

The Aces, in their most recent outing, choked erstwhile unbeaten Rain or Shine to a franchise scoring low in a 74-48 beating.

It was a big morale booster for the Aces, who have climbed out of a two-game slump with that crucial victory.

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"What was crucial was our approach after our last loss," said Cariaso, whose team lost back-to-back to Magnolia (84-82) and Phoenix (101-93) after hurdling their season opener against Blackwater (103-77).

"What we did was really go back to basics. Sometimes you forget about the little things. We did that for a couple of days. It was a good win, but our goal is to be successful this week," he added.

"We're not gonna be too high on this one. I think we're going to have a good chance of winning in our next game if we come to practice with the same mindset that we have coming off our last loss." (OL)