The Meralco Bolts are one win away from winning their first-ever championship.
Despite the monster numbers of June Mar Fajardo, the Bolts just had what it takes to potentially end it all on either Sunday or Wednesday.
But I said “potentially.”
Inasmuch as I will never count out Kyrie Irving, the same can be said with the 30-title-seeking San Miguel Beermen. JMF finished the game with 38 points and 18 rebounds. CJ Perez only had one field goal but managed to finish the game with 17 points and 10 rebounds. The rest of the team looked lost.
Meanwhile, after scoring 40 points in Game 5, Chris Newsome had 22 points, including a couple of free throws that helped the Bolts get the win. He also got help from Allein Maliksi, who took a backseat for most of the series to Chris Banchero, as he too scored 22 points in the win. Rakenrol Raymond Almazan had 14 points, while Banchero had 12, as seven Meralco players scored six points or more in the game.
So San Miguel is placed in a spot where they need to win two games to secure their 30th championship. Normally, this is an easy task for the Beermen but for some insane reason, Meralco isn’t your average non-SMC squad. For most PBA fans, we need the Bolts to win so there can be a semblance of fair play between squads.
I know the MVP side is pulling a trashy trade that would send Rey Nambatac to TNT in a revised deal that would give Kib Montalbo, Barkley Ebona, and Paul Varilla, alongside a future second-rounder to Blackwater. However, I think the more logical trade, if TNT wants to pursue it, would have Montalbo and either Glenn Khobuntin or Kim Aurin. Blackwater has had Ebona in their squad, so re-acquiring him as a 12th man is weird, considering that they had him when he was seen as a part-time starter.
Anyway, the thing about San Miguel, Ginebra, and Magnolia at the moment is that their age is showing. Even Ginebra, the younger team in terms of starters, are in their 30s. With the current PBA situation, the best way for fans to get with the non-SMC teams is if they can see them as viable contenders.
Meralco started off with the Sta. Lucia fans, at that point, lost most of them when their key players like Kelly Williams, Ryan Reyes, Joseph Yeo, Denok Miranda, Paolo Mendoza, and Dennis Espino were shipped to other squads. The Bolts started to gain traction when they got Allen Durham and engaged in a series of showdowns with Barangay Ginebra. Because they are an MVP squad, they were able to keep their drafted players like Chris Newsome, Aaron Black, Bong Quinto, and Cliff Hodge and at the same time, acquire a couple of stars through trades like Raymond Almazan and Chris Banchero.
I’ll stop now with the history lesson.
I want the Bolts to win because it might help the PBA attract new fans, as well as regain their disgruntled patrons.
Anyway, they have two chances to get this.