HERE WE GO: Bolts kick off title defense as Phl Cup unwraps

Games today:

(Ninoy Aquino Stadium)

5 p.m. — Terrafirma vs Phoenix

7:30 p.m. — Converge vs Meralco

Meralco is out to prove its title conquest last year was no fluke, opening its back-to-back Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup bid against a confident Converge side today at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

Bringing in the same crew, hopefully healthier after being bitten by the injury bug in the previous conference, that delivered the franchise’s breakthrough title, the Bolts brace for an early acid test at 7:30 p.m.

Meanwhile, Terrafirma and Phoenix cross paths at 5 p.m. in the curtain-raiser as action resumes following a short break after the mid-season Commissioner’s Cup.

But all eyes will be on Meralco, which seeks to go all the way to the finals after consecutive quarterfinals exits in the hands of Barangay Ginebra in the first two tournaments of the season.

Leading the Bolts of head coach Luigi Trillo is reigning Finals Most Valuable Player Chris Newsome.

The Gilas Pilipinas standout drilled the game-winning basket in last year’s championship series to seal Meralco’s first title at the expense of June Mar Fajardo and the mighty San Miguel Beer in Game 6.

Meralco, however, struggled with injuries to its key players this season.

Big man Brandon Bates and winger Allein Maliksi’s health could still be a concern while Raymond Almazan and Cliff Hodge may not be 100 percent healthy after dealing with injuries last conference

Still, Newsome remains confident the Bolts will be as competitive as they were last season.

“I think they know whenever they play Meralco, it’s going to be a hard-nosed game. It’s going to be a physical game. It’s not a walk in the park,” he said.

Chris Banchero, Bong Quinto and Anjo Caram bring the supporting firepower for the Bolts, who are sure to face tough resistance from the FiberXers.

Converge is no longer the pushover team of the past.

Anchored on streaky scorer Alec Stockton, Commissioner’s Cup Best Player of the Conference contender Jordan Heading, Schonny Winston and bruisers Justin Arana and rookie Justin Baltazar, the Franco Atienza-mentored squad made it as far as the quarters in the first two conferences.

On the other hand, the Fuel Masters eye to win their opening match for the first time in a long while.

“If you look at it, we haven’t won an opening game in the past conferences. So that’s the immediate target right now, to win the first game of the conference,” Phoenix coach Jamike Jarin said, noting that his squad lost its last three conference openers.

The Dyip, which is reportedly up for sale, have their own agenda of starting their campaign right.

Terrafirma has been a bottom-feeder this season winning only a single game in each of the first two tournaments.

Meanwhile, San Miguel Beer acquired young big man JM Calma from NorthPort in a trade approved by the PBA on Wednesday.

The Beermen shipped Avan Nava and a second-round pick in the Season 50 draft for Calma, who will serve as backup for eight-time MVP Fajardo.

Calma, the sixth pick in the 2022 draft, however, is still recovering from a knee injury he sustained last year in the all-Filipino conference.