Barangay Ginebra and Meralco, both coming off morale-boosting wins, renew their heated rivalry Friday night, October 17, in the PBA Philippine Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Tip-off is at 7:30 p.m. as both teams seek to prove their early victories are no fluke—Ginebra determined to sustain newfound momentum, and Meralco motivated to put early stumbles behind them and earn their second win.
The Gin Kings, who stumbled in their season opener, roared back with a 92-77 victory over TNT Tropang 5G, shaking off the rust that showed in their “Clasico” loss to Magnolia. Coach Tim Cone said he’s expecting a steadier performance this time.
“I don’t think we’ll be as bad as in the Clasico, but maybe not as sharp as we were against TNT. We’d be happy to land somewhere in between,” Cone said.
The Bolts, meanwhile, finally broke through after two close defeats, outplaying Blackwater, 105-96. Chris Newsome led the way with 22 points, saying the win reminded the team to keep its focus on the bigger picture.
“It’s always tough losing heartbreakers, but it’s still early,” Newsome said. “In our championship run, we had three games left, and one loss would have put us out of the playoffs. But everyone, especially the veterans, stepped up and we got through.”
Before their breakthrough, Meralco suffered close losses, but this time, contributions from Hodge, Maliksi, Black, Almazan, and Bates fueled the win.
The Bolts are also looking ahead to their East Asia Super League debut on Oct. 22 against Japan’s Ryukyu Golden Kings in Okinawa. But for now, all eyes are on their Philippine Cup momentum. MLSA WITH PBA