The Meralco Bolts will get their chance at becoming the first team to neutralize the Magnolia Chicken Timplados in the PBA on Tour. Do the Bolts have enough supply of power to pull that off? Or, will the Chicken Timplados marinate themselves in another victory?

Catch this game live on Sunday,  July 2 at 7:30 pm, Manila time.

Meralco Bolts (4-2)

Projected Starting Five:

  • PG: Anjo Caram
  • SG: Kier Quinto
  • SF: Alvin Pasaol
  • PF: Cliff Hodge
  • C: Norbert Torres

After losing to the Terrafirma Dyip, the Bolts got back on track and collected their fourth win of the season by taking down sister team TNT Tropang Giga at the Ynares Arena (Pasig) last Wednesday, 108-90. The bench power of Meralco was too much for TNT, with Allein Maliksi going off for 28 points on 10/15 shooting. Franky Johnson and Raymond Almazan also came off the bench and scored 13 points apiece. 

Maliksi and Almazan are two veterans more than good enough to be starters, but Meralco seems to be more interested in giving first-five reps to the others during the PBA on Tour. Nevertheless, Maliksi leads the Bolts with 23.0 points per game, while Kier Quinto is second with 14.8 points per contest. Meralco loves to play fast and its pace is being fueled by its strong rebounding. They are second overall in both field goal attempts per game (89.50) and rebounds (51.67) per outing.

Magnolia Chicken Timplados (6-0)

Projected Starting Five:

  • PG: Paul Lee
  • SG: Jonathan Jed Mendoza
  • SF: Rome Dela Rosa
  • PF: Jackson Corpuz
  • C: James Laput

The Chicken Timplados are still undefeated. They are feasting on the competition, claiming their latest victim in the form of the NorthPort Batang Pier in a 125-89 victory on June 23. A long rest between that game and this Sunday’s clash against the Bolts could mean Magnolia will be a little bit rusty coming into the meeting. 

Then again, it doesn’t look as though it takes much for Magnolia to heat up. The Chicken Timplados are second in the league with 105.2 points per game. They are also second with 12.5 3-pointers per outing and they are hitting them at an incredible clip of 41 percent — the best in the PBA. They wrecked NorthPort with 17 3-pointers on 27 shots. Magnolia is feeling it.

PREDICTION:

Spread: Magnolia (-5.5) covers.
Over/Under: The total (192) hits the Over.