Where: Smart Araneta Coliseum 

When: Wednesday, February 11, 7:30 P.M. / 7:40 P.M. (On-air / Tip-off) PHT

Team Records: Meralco Bolts (3-2) / Ryukyu Golden Kings (4-1) 

Where to Watch: Ticket Information / Broadcast Information  

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‍PROJECTED STARTERS 

Meralco Bolts: 

PG: Sina Vahedi — 185cm / N/A

SG: Jason Brickman — 183cm / 75kg

SF: Cliff Hodge — 193cm / 88kg 

PF: Ismael Romero — 203cm / 100kg

C: Cady Lalanne  — 208cm / 113kg

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Ryukyu Golden Kings:
PG: Ryuichi Kishimoto — 176cm / 75kg

SG: Shota Onodera — 182cm / 82kg

SF: Vic Law — 201cm / 94kg

PF: Jack Cooley — 206cm / 115cm 

C: Alex Kirk — 211cm / 114cm

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TEAM STATISTIC LEADERS 

Meralco Bolts: 

Points: Ismael Romero — 22.0 

Rebounds: Ismael Romero — 17.4 

Assists: Chris Newsome — 5.4 

Steals: Sina Vahedi — 2.0 (5th in EASL)

Blocks:  Ismael Romero — 1.0 

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Ryukyu Golden Kings: 

Points: Ryuichi Kishimoto — 15.6 

Rebounds: Jack Cooley — 12.2 (4th in EASL)

Assists: Ryuichi Kishimoto — 5.0 

Steals: Shuto Sakihama — 1.5 

Blocks: Damyean Dotson — 1.0 

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THE RUNDOWN 

In the sixth all-time meeting of the rivalry between the Meralco Bolts and the Ryukyu Golden Kings, this one carries more significance than any before.

For Meralco, the requirement is clear. The Bolts must win, and they must do so by six points or more, to secure qualification to the EASL Finals on February 11. For Ryukyu, any win locks up the No. 1 seed in Group B at 5–1, while even a loss by five points or fewer would still send the Golden Kings through to the postseason as the No. 2 seed behind the P. LEAGUE+’s Taoyuan Pauian Pilots.

The teams first met earlier this season in Okinawa, where the Golden Kings earned an 87–81 win to hand Meralco a loss in its EASL season opener. Since then, the Bolts have found rhythm, dropping just one game while putting together a three-game winning streak to set up this finale.

Ryukyu, though, has been even more consistent. The Golden Kings enter on a four-game winning streak, with a victory next Wednesday giving them consecutive five-win regular seasons.

Now it comes down to the final gameday at Smart Araneta Coliseum. Who earns the last ticket to the EASL Finals, and how will Group B shake out when the buzzer sounds?

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THE BOLTS 

Plenty has changed for Meralco heading into this one.

The biggest shift is the absence of Rondae Hollis Jefferson, who suffered an achilles tear in the Bolts’ last EASL game on December 6 and was ruled out for the remainder of the season. He was Meralco’s leading scorer, averaging 22.2 points per game. The Bolts could also be without longtime captain and fan favorite Chris Newsome, who is dealing with a knee injury.

Meralco has also brought in reinforcements, adding Jason Brickman and Cady Lalanne. Brickman was selected by the Bolts in the most recent PBA Draft and spent the past few months with the team’s MPBL affiliate, helping it win a championship. Lalanne adds size and experience in the middle, and EASL fans may remember him from last season, when he played two games for the Busan KCC Egis and averaged 29 points and 13 rebounds.

Even with new pieces, Meralco still has key holdovers to build around, including Ismael Romero, EASL’s November Player of the Month, and Justin Brownlee, one of the most accomplished imports the PBA has seen. The chemistry may still be developing, but with this level of talent, Meralco will back itself to be dangerous at Smart Araneta Coliseum, even against a Ryukyu side with proven pedigree.

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THE GOLDEN KINGS 

For the Golden Kings, a big part of this matchup is managing the unknown. Ryukyu has already seen and beaten Meralco this season, but this is a different Bolts group, with new additions that have not had much time on the floor together.

For Ryukyu, though, the approach does not change. The Golden Kings will continue to lean on their established core, with Ryuichi Kishimoto setting the tone and Alex Kirk and Jack Cooley anchoring the middle, especially given the form they have shown over the past month.

Ryukyu has won four straight to sit atop Group B, and it comes in off a statement win at home over the P. LEAGUE+’s Taoyuan Pauian Pilots, last season’s runners-up and a team that had beaten the Golden Kings in their previous two meetings.

Another storyline is the import rotation. Vic Law has barely featured since a short stint on December 17 in Ryukyu’s win over the Macau Black Bears. In his place, Damyean Dotson has begun to settle in, reaching double figures in each of Ryukyu’s last two EASL wins.

Ryukyu leads the all-time series 5–1, but this meeting carries a different kind of pressure. Can the Golden Kings close the regular season on top of Group B, or can Meralco turn the rivalry on its head when it matters most?

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SPOTLIGHT STORYLINE 

Do Or Die… With A Twist

What was labeled as the Group of Death entering the season continues to live up to its name. Here are the EASL Finals clinching scenarios entering this game between Meralco and Ryukyu:

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What do the Meralco Bolts need to get to the EASL Finals?

A win puts the Meralco Bolts at 4-2, the same as Taoyuan, and the Ryukyu Golden Kings would also be 4-2 with a loss on February 11. 

In this scenario, where three teams finish 4-2, the tiebreaker expands to include only the games played among the three tied teams.

In that case, Taoyuan, Ryukyu, and Meralco would each be 1–1 against the other two, giving all three teams the same combined record in those matchups. So after the first tiebreaker, the three teams would still be deadlocked.

So now we move to the next tiebreaker: point differential in games involving the tied teams.

Taking into account Meralco’s two games against Taoyuan and their first game against Ryukyu (before the rematch on the final day), the Bolts’ current point differential among the tied teams is -10:

October 22: Loss vs RGK (72–81) = -9

November 2: Loss vs TYP (72–82) = -10

November 8: Win vs TYP (85–76) = +9

Total: -10

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For Ryukyu, if they were to lose to Meralco in this game, taking into account Ryukyu’s two games against Taoyuan and their first game against Meralco (before the rematch), the Golden Kings’ current point differential among the tied teams is +1:

October 8: Loss vs TYP (80–94) = -14

October 22: Win vs MER (81–72) = +9

February 4: Win vs TYP (88–82) = +6

Total: +1

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Because of this, Meralco would not only need to win, but win by a certain amount of points to make sure their point differential finishes better than Ryukyu’s by the end of the game.

And currently, the minimum number to make that possible is six.

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If the Bolts win by six:

• Meralco’s differential moves from -10 to -4
• Ryukyu’s differential moves from +1 to -5

Then, and only then, the Bolts can reach the EASL Finals as the No. 2 seed.

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What do the Ryukyu Golden Kings need to get to the EASL Finals? 

A win for the Ryukyu Golden Kings is the simplest way through. A victory would eliminate Meralco, dropping the Bolts to 3–3, while Ryukyu would finish as the No. 1 seed in Group B at 5–1, followed by Taoyuan at 4–2.

And even if Ryukyu loses, the math above shows they would need to lose by fewer than six points to still secure the No. 2 seed, as Taoyuan’s point differential is currently well out in front at +9.