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)