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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Basketball devider Eyes on the big prize: Meralco sets sight on first PBA title

Eyes on the big prize: Meralco sets sight on first PBA title

Published Jun 1, 2024 06:04 am

At A Glance

  • After also achieving plenty of firsts for the franchise – a first Game 7 win and a first best-of-seven series victory, Meralco might as well leave it all out and go all the way to claim what could be the team's very first PBA title since joining the league in 2010.

A team that is craving for glory won’t be easily satisfied by just clinching its breakthrough PBA Philippine Cup Finals appearance.

After also achieving plenty of firsts for the franchise – a first Game 7 win and a first best-of-seven series victory, Meralco might as well leave it all out and go all the way to claim what could be the team’s very first PBA title since joining the league in 2010.

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Big celebration. The Meralco bench erupts at the end of the buzzer as the Bolts successfully booked their first trip to the Philippine Cup finals (PBA Images)

And while the Bolts were celebrating their 78-69 victory over bitter rival Barangay Ginebra Kings at the FPJ Arena in San Jose, Batangas on Friday, May 31, it was not lost to Meralco that there are bigger things ahead to conquer for the team.

Eyes on the big prize, they say.

“We are not happy just to be in the Finals,” said Meralco head coach Luigi Trillo, whose team arranged a best-of-seven affair against defending champion San Miguel.

“We're not happy that we just made it. It’s not gonna mean anything unless we go all the way,” he added. 

While beating Ginebra was already a big feat, the Bolts are refusing to get carried away.

“That’s an amazing accomplishment. But still, we didn't go to this conference for that accomplishment. Our accomplishment is to try to win it all,” said Chris Banchero, referring to the franchise’s breakthrough Finals appearance in the Philippine Cup.

Meralco feels they have the right pieces to topple the mighty SMB and win it all, especially with Banchero and Allein Maliksi providing the veteran presence, Bong Quinto and Chris Newsome the firepower, Raymond Almazan and Brandon Bates the defensive presence, and Nenad Vucinic alongside Trillo the coaching wits.

“It’s a tough task but this team can do it and we have the coaching staff and the players to achieve that,” said Banchero, who starred in the Game 7 win with 24 points.

“We're going against the top team of this conference and they won the championship last year and obviously they had a really good team and really good coaching staff but so do we,” he added.

Good thing, even after the grueling seven-game series, the Bolts will have enough time to rest and recuperate with the Finals kicking off on Wednesday, June 5, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Related Tags

Meralco Bolts PBA Philippine Cup
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