In 2023, the Meralco Bolts won against the Ryukyu Golden Kings in Macau. Now, Allen Durham and the Bolts are taking on the Macau Black Bears right at home to open the new EASL season.
The Meralco Bolts don't have much time to grieve their elimination in the 2024 PBA Governors' Cup quarterfinals, as they have to immediately play in the new season of the East Asia Super League (EASL) right at home in the SM Mall of Asia Arena this Wednesday, October 2.
They will face the EASL expansion team Macau Black Bears in Group B. After their first-ever PBA Philippine Cup championship in 2024, the Bolts are eager to make their mark on the international stage, but they face significant challenges both on and off the court.
Meralco Bolts: Looking for Redemption
Meralco missed out on a Final Four spot in last year’s EASL season but managed to secure an important victory—an impressive 97-88 overtime win against the Ryukyu Golden Kings. It marked the first win for a PBA team in the EASL since TNT Tropang Giga in 2019.
Despite that success, Meralco faced a setback in the PBA Governors’ Cup quarterfinals, losing to Barangay Ginebra San Miguel via sweep.
"We gotta forget about this, obviously it’s disappointing, but we can’t let this hold in our minds when we gotta play a tough team like Macau," Meralco import Allen Durham told One Sports.
"All the teams in it are great teams, So just like here [PBA], you gotta be ready to play; anybody can beat you."
The Bolts will have their work cut out for them, especially with injuries to key players like CJ Cansino, Allein Maliksi, and Aaron Black, which may have impacted their Governors’ Cup run.
Despite these setbacks, they will count on the leadership of Chris Newsome, the Finals MVP of the PBA Philippine Cup, to rally the team once more.
Additionally, the Bolts will have 6-foot-11 naturalized player Ange Kouame, an Ateneo product and a former Gilas Pilipinas player, anchoring their frontcourt.
Durham, a former B.League champion and Finals MVP with the Ryukyu Golden Kings, will look to make a statement in the EASL. Known for his ability to take over games, the 6-foot-6 power forward will be a crucial piece for Meralco, especially after averaging 11.9 points per game during his tenure in Japan.
Macau Black Bears: The New Threat
The Macau Black Bears enter the EASL as an expansion team, but they’re anything but pushovers. With a towering presence in 7-foot-6 center Samuel Deguara, Meralco will face a literal big challenge.
Deguara, who last played for the Taiwan Mustangs, previously spent time in the NBA G-League with the Erie Bayhawks (Orlando Magic's affiliate), where he averaged 13.5 points and 9.7 rebounds.
Macau also brings players are pretty familiar with the Philippines.
Damian Chong Qui, a 5-foot-8 guard, made his debut for Macau during the 2024 The Asian Tournament, where he dropped 29 points and dished out five assists against Pola Pilipinas.
Another notable player is Jenning Leung, a Canadian-Chinese guard who grew up in the Philippines. Leung has been with Macau since 2018 and averaged 18.6 points and 4.1 rebounds in the ABL, according to the EASL website.
In 2023, the Meralco Bolts won against the Ryukyu Golden Kings in Macau. Now, Allen Durham and the Bolts are taking on the Macau Black Bears right at home to open the new EASL season.
The October 2 game is slated at 8 p.m. at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
(With reports from Maureen Muarip/One Sports Digital)
[Editor's note: This article was generated by a member of the One Sports Digital team using AI, and then checked by the staff to ensure accuracy.]