PBA: Bolts seek second win

ROS takes on Alaska

By Waylon Galvez

Games Today (Smart Araneta Coliseum)
4:30 p.m. – Meralco vs GlobalPort
7 p.m. – Alaska vs Rain or Shine

After the team’s early exit in the Philippine Cup, Meralco coach Norman Black expressed relief that they were able to start their campaign with a win in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup.

But can they sustain their good start?

That will be known today when the Bolts battle the GlobalPort Batang Pier in today’s PBA action at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

“After what happened in the Philippine Cup, it’s nice to win our first game this conference,” said Black, whose team downed Columbian Dyip, 116-103, Wednesday night at the Big Dome.

“Well, hopefully we can sustain the energy and the effort we had in our first game,” added Black.

The encounter between Meralco and GlobalPort is scheduled at 4:30 p.m., before two teams start their bid this mid-season conference as Rain or Shine and Alaska test each other’s mettle at 7 p.m.

Both the Elasto Painters and the Aces will parade new imports as ROS will have Reggie Johnson, a 6-foot-10 center who played college basketball for the Miami Hurricanes, while Alaska will lean on 6-foot-9 Antonio Campbell, a former player of Ohio University.

Focus, however, is on Meralco, particularly former Best Import winner Arinze Onuaku, who posted 30 points, 19 rebounds, six assists, three steals and four blocks in his first game back in the PBA after his initial stint with the Bolts in 2016.

BANNED AND FINED
Meanwhile, the Batang Pier will miss the services of Mo Tautuaa after he was suspended for one game and fined P35,000 for committing a Flagrant Foul Penalty 2 when he inadvertently kicked TNT import Jeremy Tyler following a dunk in the fourth quarter.

Also fined by P5,000 each were Globalport import Malcolm White and Joseph Gabayni – both for committing F1 fouls against TNT’s Jessie Saitanan and Poger Pogoy, respectively.