Meralco’s gallant stand

Meralco’s fate in the recent FIBA Asia Champions Cup in Nonthaburi, Thailand, was doomed from the start. The SBP never intended to send a team to represent the country in the tournament which traditionally assembles some of the best clubs in Asia but a request from FIBA secretary-general Patrick Baumann led to the PBA Board of Governors to select the Bolts to carry the flag.

It was difficult to find a PBA squad for the joust because of the ongoing Governors Cup but Meralco took on the challenge at short notice. The Bolts lost to Phoenix, 96-86, last Sept. 19 then regrouped to practice for Thailand where two imports were allowed each team. Coach Norman Black kept Allen Durham and brought in 7-2 Liam McMorrow to fill the other import spot. He knew Meralco was up against all odds, particularly as Ranidel de Ocampo (calf injury) and J. D. Dillinger (thigh injury) were still in the recovery list, but promised to give it the Bolts best shot.

“The PBA was in-season so we decided to volunteer Meralco so as not to disrupt the PBA schedule,” said SBP president and Meralco PBA governor Al Panlilio. “Playing in this Cup was a huge sacrifice for the Bolts. Good thing the PBA allowed us to reschedule our game (against Rain Or Shine) on Sept. 28.”

Then disaster struck. Two days before leaving Manila for Bangkok, McMorrow tore the meniscus in his left knee during practice. Bolts team manager Paolo Trillo desperately scouted for a replacement and found 6-10 Diamond Stone, the New Orleans Pelicans’ second round pick in the 2016 NBA draft out of the University of Maryland. Stone, 21, played only a year at Maryland, averaging 12.5 points and 5.4 rebounds but made a statement that he was ready for the NBA by dropping 39 points against Penn State. In the NBA, Stone never played for the Pelicans but managed to suit up for seven games with the Los Angeles Clippers in 2016-17, averaging 1.4 points.

He came close to signing with Atlanta and Chicago the next season but didn’t make the cut. Stone, who played for the US at the 2014 FIBA U17 World Cup, arrived in Bangkok one day before Meralco’s debut against Mono Vampire of Thailand last Sept. 27.

Another tragedy was FIBA Asia’s refusal to allow Meralco mainstays Chris Newsome and Cliff Hodge to play because they weren’t issued their Philippine passports before turning 16. It didn’t matter that both Newsome and Hodge are part Filipino by blood. The FIBA eligibility rule disqualifies dual citizens from representing the country of their choice unless they show passports before turning 16 regardless of heritage.

Panlilio appealed the FIBA Asia disqualification, arguing that the eligibility rules for club competitions are different from tournaments involving national teams. Panlilio advised Trillo to cite the difference in the eligibility rules during the team managers meeting the day before the start of the games. But FIBA Asia executive director Hagop Khajirian of Lebanon never sought clarification from FIBA administrator and development director Zoran Radovic.

Khajirian’s position drove Panlilio to make a quick trip to Bangkok to explain his side. “If Hagop’s stance is firm, then in the future, no PBA team will be able to represent the Philippines in the FIBA Asia Champions Cup because almost all the teams have similar cases as Newsome and Hodge,” said Panlilio. “It’s just counter-productive for club teams.” Panlilio’s explanation opened Khajirian’s eyes to the issue and the FIBA Asia official promised to modify the eligibility rules for future competitions. “The SBP just wants to be fair to future teams that will represent our country,” said Panlilio. “We take our basketball seriously and it’s the federation’s responsibility to compete with the best possible roster and have a chance to win.”

Last year, the Philippines was represented by Chooks To Go and finished fifth of 10 in the FIBA Asia Champions Cup in Chenzhou, China. Chooks could’ve brought in two imports but enlisted only 7-1 Zeke Austin. Others in the squad were L. A. Revilla, Carl Bryan Cruz, Jett Manuel, Almond Vosotros, Norbert Torres, Kiefer Ravena, Jeric and Jeron Teng, Toto Jose and Alfrancis Tamsi.

This year, Meralco wound up fourth, an improvement from the previous meet. The Bolts lost to Mono Vampire, 100-92 and Alvark Tokyo, 84-73 but advanced to the semifinals via the quotient system after crushing Al Riyadi of Lebanon, 96-63. Only two teams from Meralco’s bracket made it to the Final Four – unbeaten Alvark (3-0) and the Bolts (1-2) with a +14 advantage over Mono Vampire (-6) and Al Riyadi (-38). In the semis, Meralco nearly upset eventual champion Petrochimi of Iran and dropped a 79-74 heartbreaker. Petrochimi showed up with national players Behnam Yakhchali, Sajjad Mashayekhi, Arsalan Kazemi, Mohammad Jamshidi and Rouzbeh Arghavan plus 6-11 veteran Ashgar Kardoust.

In the battle for third last Tuesday, Meralco trailed by only a single possession with 18 seconds left but the Seoul SK Knights held on to win, 91-87. Stone shot 32 points and Durham, 21. KG Canaleta fired 15 and Baser Amer 12 but no other Meralco player tallied more than two points. It was a creditable performance by the Bolts who despite an overall record of 1-4, placed fourth of eight. Mono Vampire (3-2) was fifth, Pauian of Chinese-Taipei sixth (2-3), Al Riyadi seventh (2-3) and Liaoning Flying Leopards of China eighth (0-5). “I couldn’t help but think that the outcome could’ve been different if Newsome and Hodge played,” said Panlilio.