Two teams coming off tough losses cross paths this Thursday. Will the Meralco Bolts extend the Terrafirma Dyip’s losing skid? Or, will the Dyip take the Bolts on a ride to Loserville?
Catch this game live on September 16 at 2 pm, Manila time.
The Terrafirma Dyip (3-6)
Projected Starting Five:
- PG: Reden Celda
- SG: JP Calvo
- SF: Philip Andreas Cahilig
- PF: Aldrech Ramos
- C: James Laput
After catching the league by surprise with three wins in a row over the San Miguel Beermen, Barangay Ginebra, and Blackwater Bossing, Terrafirma has gone back down to earth. Since that win streak, the Dyip have lost back to back to the Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters and to the NorthPort Batang Pier. Despite Terrafirma’s 104-84 loss to the Batang Pier, Terrafirma shot 33% from deep.
That’s not much, but it’s still way above league average. In fact, the Dyip are second in this conference with a 32.48 3FG% and third with 9.89 threes per contest. The 3-point shot was a big weapon for Terrafirma the last time it went up against Meralco, which was in November of 2020. In that game, the Dyip shot 11-of-28 from behind the arc, with guard Juami Tiongson going 4-of-6 and finishing with 21 points in a close 95-93 loss. So far this conference, Terrafirma is averaging 89.11 points per game.
The Meralco Bolts (5-2)
Projected Starting Five:
- PG: John Pinto
- SG: Chris Newsome
- SF: Mac Belo
- PF: John Quinto
- C: Raymond Almazan
Meralco is eyeing a return in the win column after absorbing a 91-76 loss at the hands of the TNT Tropang Giga on September 3. The Bolts fell behind by as much as 30 points against TNT, and while they mounted a spirited comeback, their effort was simply not enough to erase the huge lead they let the Tropang Giga build.
Things could get better this time around for the Bolts, who will be facing an eager Terrafirma but one that’s not as stacked as TNT’s lineup. A crucial key for Meralco will be to cut down on turnovers. The Bolts turned the ball over 23 times against TNT, which scored 32 points off those Meralco errors. The game against Terrafirma also presents an opportunity for the hot-and-cold trio of Chris Newsome, Mac Belo, and Allein Maliksi to find their shots again after combining for only 14 points on 5-of-16 shooting against TNT.
PREDICTION:
Spread: Meralco will have a field day scoring against the Dyip. Take the Bolts to win and cover (-8.5).
Over/Under: This can be a wild game offensively. Take the Over (180.5).
