03 April 2012

Preview: Bolts vs B-MEG (2nd Game)

Preview: Bolts vs B-MEG
The Meralco Bolts will get a big test on Wednesday, 4 April 2012, to see if they are ready for the PBA Semi-finals. The B-MEG Llamados are undoubtedly among basketball's best and will be out to prove there is not a single team they cannot beat.

Bolts has certainly had their struggles this season but is coming together when it matters most, but in order to be considered a serious contender for a championship this season, a second win against Llamados is necessary to prove to themselves and naysayers that they have what it takes.

The matchup ...

The Meralco Bolts will take on the B-MEG Llamados at the SMART Araneta Coliseum on Wednesday, 4 April 2012 at 5:50 P.M. EDT.

The standings ...

The Bolts just came from a confidence-boosting 103-81 victory over B-MEG at the start of their best-of-three series. They have won five of their last 6 games.

The Llamados enters the matchup having lost two crucial matches that could have propelled them further to a semis-berth. Their losses came after the Llamados nearly dominated the eliminatioin round and tied the Ginebra Gin Kings at the second slot in the standings.

The quarterfinals series ...

The season series stands at 1-0 in favor of the Bolts. This is the first win of the Bolts in a quarterfinals round since entering the league.

Who to watch ...

For the Bolts, Macmac Cardona first showed that he is a player to watch after Meralco's 102-98 win over Powerade last Friday (30 March 2012) in their one-game playoff for the last slot in the quarterfinals. He tallied 24 points, seven rebounds and five assists.

He returned just two days later to pump in 22 points on top of nine rebounds and four feeds in the victory over B-. His output included 11 points during a blistering endgame surge that pulled them away for good from a tight 80-77 count.

For the Llamados, expect James Yap to take more shots this time after he nearly turn the game around in their first game against the Bolts. He tallied 21 points on a 41.3 percent shooting clip on the floor. However, Coach Tim Cone might try to pull something on his sleeves now that their back is against the wall. It won't be a surprise to see Jonas Villanueva or Mike Burtscher spend more time on the arena.

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