Meralco Bolts move on after the Philippine Cup semis Game 1 misstep

BUNGLING what initially looked like a winning position stung but the Meralco Bolts are quick to do what elite teams do after a misstep — move on.

“It’s far from over. There’s still a lot of basketball to be played,” said coach Luigi Trillo after the Bolts absorbed a 95-100 loss to TNT in a PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup semifinal series opener that saw them squander a 21-point lead.

“But we need to be better,” he stressed.

The Bolts practically imposed their will on the Tropang 5G early on, going on a 52-31 tear before ending the first 24 minutes comfortably by 16. A furious TNT storm in the third sliced the Meralco lead to just one and ultimately, the Tropang 5G outsteadied the Bolts in the homestretch en route to the 1-0 running start in the race-to-four final four.

“That thing (tight ending) should not happen when you go up by 20. That should be a step on the throats and done game. And we didn’t do that. We allowed them to come back,” rued Mr. Trillo.

“Maybe we have to be a heavy-duty team. We need to go down with humility and see that to beat this team, we have to not let go of the gas pedal. You can’t play good (in) one half. And in the third quarter, they just (overpowered Meralco). I think at that point in time, it’s anybody’s ball game. So I think we could have done better in the third.”

The victory on Sunday marked TNT’s biggest comeback win since the 2007 Fiesta Conference when it battled back from 23 down in the second in a 95-87 victory over Alaska in Game 2 of the Finals. Coach Chot Reyes’ troops also made it six in a row against Meralco dating back to the Season 48 Commissioner’s Cup.

Like Meralco, defending champion San Miguel Beermen (SMB) stands defiant after dropping the first match of their own duel with Barangay Ginebra, 90-99.

“Long series ito, best-of-seven. Bounce back na lang kami next game,” said SMB giant June Mar Fajardo after the Gin Kings spoiled his 27-23 double-double and ended the Beermen’s 10-game streak prior to the New Year’s break. — Olmin Leyba