The Meralco Bolts is scheduled for a head-to-head game against the Columbian Dyip at 4:30 P.M. on May 24, 2019 live from the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
Both the Bolts and Dyip wanted to make a bounce back game and log their first victory this 2019 PBA Commissioner’s Cup. Yet, only one team can do that today and the other will absorb a second defeat.
Meralco’s import Gani Lawal had a stellar performance in his PBA debut last Sunday though it didn’t gave his team a victory.
Lawal scored 34 points and got 21 rebounds but along that eye-popping statline is the 0 assist and 6 turnovers.
He also took the last shot in the overtime that probably designed for Bolts guard to take for a much higher percentage attempt.
Meralco head coach Norman Black wanted his reinforcement player to trust more in his teammates and not to carry the burden alone.
“I’d like to see him be more patient and rely a little bit to his teammates and try not to do it all by himself, which I thought he did a bit of tonight,” said Black.
Lawal looks like is with an agreement with his coach and that might be the adjustment his willing to make in today’s ball-game.
“I know, for me, that I need to just trust my teammates more and read situations better,” said the former NBA player.
For the Columbian camp on the other hand, coach Johnadel Cardel wanted his locals to trust their import who also had a great game in his PBA debut.
Kyle Barone logged 30 points along with his 22 rebounds in his first game in the local pro-league.
“Bago import, naninibago pa sa locals,” said the former Negros Slashers guard turned coach. “Pero dapat mga locals kailangan makipagtulungan sa import, bigyan din importansiya import. ‘Yung import naman namin me pasensya, systematic.”