Bolts in peril after EASL loss to Ryukyu Golden Kings

MANILA, Philippines — The Meralco Bolts were pushed to the brink of elimination in the East Asia Super League (EASL) after losing the Ryukyu Golden Kings, 89-71, Thursday at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City. 

Meralco, which played without import Akil Mitchell, fell to 2-3 in the season after dropping their second straight game in the home-and-away tourney. 

Ryukyu, meanwhile, clinched the top seed of Group B. 

Victor Law paced the Golden Kings with 20 points, eight rebounds, five assists and two steals. Alex Kirk added 19 markers and eight boards.

The two teams were kept in a 37-all deadlock at the 4:04 mark of the second quarter after a split from the line by Meralco’s Chris Banchero.

But an 18-6 run by the Golden Kings capped by a 3-pointer by Law broke the game wide open and gave the visiting team a 12-point lead, 55-43, with 8:45 remaining in the third. 

Back-to-back shots by Chris Newsome and Brandon Bates made it an eight-point deficit, 47-55, but the Japanese squad was just too much to handle. 

Ryukyu led by as much as 23 points, 79-56, in the first 42 seconds of the fourth after a dunk by Keve Aluma.

Meralco tried to storm back, cutting the lead to 14, 65-79, after a layup by Ange Kouame. But this was the nearest the Bolts got to, as the Golden Kings regained a 20-point cushion, 89-69, after a dunk by Aluma. 

Aluma added 18 markers, seven boards and a dime for Ryukyu. Yoshiyuki Matsuwaki and Ryuichi Kishimoto chipped in 12 points apiece. 

Kouame and Cliff Hodge led the Bolts with 13 points each, while Newsome had 12. Meralco’s other import, DJ Kennedy struggled mightily, finishing with just three points on 1-of-8 shooting to go with four assists, three rebounds, two steals and two turnovers. 

The Bolts will need to win their final matchup this season against the New Taipei Kings on February 12 for a chance to make it to the EASL’s Final Four. 

New Taipei, though, will have a home court advantage as the two teams will slug it out at the University of Taipei Tian-Mu Campus Gymnasium.