PBA CC Playoffs 2 Meralco vs 7 NLEX

Newsome's Time
(Photo credit: PBA Inquirer)

Al Thornton (43m/36/p/12r/2a) is a motherf'n beast.

He is also 6"7 and playing one-legged, which means that the NLEX Road Warriors' prolific import plays right into the hands of the Meralco Bolts' strengths-- its frontline.

Bolts Coach Norman Black will most likely take Thornton out of the equation by using equal parts of Cliff Hodge (30/10/8/2), Kelly Nabong, Brian Faundo and then some. All while banking on Chris Newsome (27/12/4/3), Jared Dillinger (24/11/4/2), Baser amer (20/8/1/2) and veteran point guard Jimmy Alapag (19/7/2/3) to provide import Arinze Onuaku (42/21/19/3) with all the help he needs on the opposite end.


Match-up wise, NLEX has the tools on paper to extend this series and make it very entertaining. But there in lies the rub-- "on paper." At best, this team is only four to five men deep with Asi Taulava (33/12/10/2), Sean Anthony (36/16/9/2), Jonas Villanueva (28/9/3/3) and Kevin Alas (26/8/2/1) taking the charge. There are guys there like Garvo Lanete, Simon Enciso, Glenn Khobuntin, Mac Cardona and Enrico Villanueva but they are all either being benched or playing on a level that just doesn't match-up to their Bolts counterparts.

If you are NLEX coach Boyet Fernandez, you'd want your boys to just control the boards and play some stingy defense, enough for Thornton to weave his scoring wizardry in the end game in hopes of a win. But like we said, the Bolts will definitely send their bloodhounds after the NBA veteran (money is on Nabong and Faundo starting something crazy the minute Thornton puts together a scoring burst).

Alapag's been playing on a high level as of late, so him versus Villanueva should be fun. His understudy, Amer, appears to have also been able to earn Coach Norman's trust and it would be very interesting to see him and Alas engage in a mini San Beda-Letran firefight on the court.

That is, if Alas is given the greenlight.

Don't expect much out of this series, as the Bolts are playing exceptional basketball with the right set of players while NLEX, as we have written here before, is just looking to win games here and there with nary a purpose.

Prediction: Meralco