NLEX has been practically on survival mode for much of the PBA Philippine Cup.
It’s now Meralco’s turn to feel the pinch.
The Road Warriors and Bolts collide anew tonight in the deciding game of their quarterfinals duel at the Don Honorio Ventura State University Gym in Bacolor, Pampanga, with NLEX seemingly having taken the momentum.
But the task is far from done, as far as NLEX coach Yeng Guiao is concerned.
“We’re just trying to survive every game,” Guiao said moments after his seventh-ranked team pulled off an 81-80 squeaker over the second-seed last Wednesday that neutralized the latter’s win-once advantage going into the series.
“Meralco is a really strong team. They’ve been playing solid since this tournament started.
There’s a reason why they’re second,” added Guiao. “We haven’t achieved anything yet. We are just prolonging the series. Let’s see what happens.”
Guiao has ample reason to remain wary.
Meralco has not dropped back-to-back games starting in last year’s Philippine Cup bubble in Angeles City and this year, when the season-opening tournament started in Pasig City before moving over to Bacolor.
For NLEX to snap that trend the Road Warriors must play according to the way Guiao wants them to, which is to start as strong as the Bolts, keep the game close, and give themselves a chance to win it in the end.
That’s exactly what happened last Wednesday, when Anthony Semerad exploded for 23 points to help keep NLEX in the thick of the fight before Jericho Cruz and rookie Calvin Oftana hooked up for the game-winner in the dying seconds.
