BLACKWATER came into the PBA Governors' Cup with just a humble, immediate goal in mind: To cut short a losing skein that has gone on for more than a year.
Two games into the season-ending tournament, the end of that prolonged slide still eludes the Bossing who must now face a Meralco crew eyeing to set off its campaign on a high note Thursday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
After getting only as far as the semifinals in the last Philippine Cup the Bolts want to go deeper this time around and kicking off their bid with a win against the Bossing should go a long way in terms of confidence and morale.
All signs point to Blackwater's losing streak, which started in October of last year and now standing at 21 games, getting stretched further.
Save for Franky Johnson, acquired from Rain or Shine for Trevis Jackson earlier this month, Meralco totes the same intact lineup built around the core of Chris Newsome, Raymond Almazan, Nards Pinto, Cliff Hodge, Reynel Hugnatan, Mac Belo and Allein Maliksi, aside from the comebacking Aaron Black.
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To add more beef to their already stacked lineup that also has Anjo Caram, Alvin Pasaol and Noy Baclao, the Bolts also picked as import Tony Bishop, a 32-year-old Panamanian national player tapped to replace ex-NBA player Shabazz Muhammad, who backed out due to a family emergency.
While Meralco is relatively untouched, the same cannot be said of Blackwater, which has eight new players, a new coach in Ariel Vanguardia and an unfamiliar import in Jaylen Bond.
The Bossing were actually among the first to set up camp since Vanguardia was tapped to replace Nash Racela last September, but it is clear they still have to get their acts fully together.
"The effort was there the last two games," pointed out Vanguardia, referring to their losses to Rain or Shine and Phoenix Super LPG. "We did not get the job done because of our mistakes on defense."
Vanguardia stressed that defense should anchor his team's basic strategy against Meralco. "We have to disrupt Meralco's execution. We know coach Norman's team will be deliberate."
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To make up for the projected absence of Jayvee Casio, who remains day-to-day due to a foot injury, Blackwater has activated Kelly Nabong, who underwent pre-conference foot surgery, and new acquisition Jay Washington. (NC)
