January 2 ------ MERALCO finds itself hard-pressed to go for a seat in the EASL Final Four. The Bolts are in a tight fight with the Macau Black Bears, New Taipei Kings, and Busan KCC Egis for the remaining semis seat in Group A after Ryukyu Golden Kings clinched the first Final Four berth in the same bracket. It’s the first semis appearance for the Golden Kings in the regional league.
The Kings scored an 82-74 victory over New Taipei last Christmas Day at the Okinawa Arena to remain undefeated in the group. Ryukyu carries a perfect 4-0 slate and remains as the only unbeaten unit in the 10-team field, leaving the Bolts, Black Bears, Kings, and KCC Egis disputing the remaining semis berth. So far, Meralco is in second place in Group B with an even 2-2 record, and could have carried an even better slate had it not suffered a heartbreaker against KCC Egis, 72-68, in a game where the Bolts led by as many as 13 points in the last five minutes.
The Black Bears follow next with a 2-3 card, Taipei Kings at 1-2, and KCC Egis at 1-3. The Bolts are set for a Jan. 22 showdown with the Ryukyu Kings at the Philsports Arena and the New Taipei Kings on Feb. 12 in Chinese Taipei. Meanwhile, San Miguel is also in danger of missing the Final Four as it remains winless in Group A with a 0-3 record to stay at the bottom of the standings.
Reigning Japan B. League champion Hiroshima Dragonflies are on top of Group A with a 3-1 record together with Taouyuan Pauian Pilots, followed by Suwon KT Sonicboom (2-2), and Hong Kong Eastern (1-2). The EASL Final Four is set in March.
Source: spin.ph
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