Bolts eye 2nd straight EASL win, clash with Seoul SK Knights

MANILA, Philippines – The Meralco Bolts will try to win their second straight game in the East Asia Super League (EASL) as they face the Seoul SK Knights Wednesday night at the Philsports Arena.

Meralco, which finally notched the Philippines’ first EASL tournament win since 2019 against the Ryukyu Golden Kings two weeks ago, will try to build momentum and win back-to-back EASL games.

Standing in the Bolts’ way are former UP Fighting Maroon Juan Gomez de Liano and the rest of the Knights.

“We have Christmas, but we have no days off, really. I think the PBA will go on a break for a while, but it’s an honor for us to play in the EASL,” Meralco head coach Luigi Trillo told reporters.

“We were called upon to do it, we took it seriously. I think we improved since our first game,” he added.

Previously, Meralco dropped its first two games against Ryukyu and the New Taipei Kings.

In their EASL debut, the Bolts dropped a humiliating 89-61 contest at the Okinawa Arena in Japan. The second game was closer, with New Taipei squeaking past Meralco, 97-92, at the New Taipei Xinzhuang Gymnasium last November 29.

Meralco and the SK Knights currently have identical 1-2 win-loss slates in the home-and-away league.

“The stakes are high here. This is Philippine pride for us, so we hope our countrymen will support us,” Trillo said.

“We’ll focus there. We want to win and give us an opportunity to make [the playoffs], even if we’re not supposed to be there,” he added.

After Wednesday’s clash, Meralco will be facing the Kings on January 3.

The final EASL game for this season for the Bolts will be against the Knights once again on February 7.

Meralco is spearheaded by imports Zach Lofton and Prince Ibeh, as well as locals Chris Newsome, Cliff Hodge and Raymond Almazan.