Game today

(Cuneta Astrodome)

7 p.m. -- Meralco vs. Alaska

The results:

Game 1 -- Meralco  def. Alaska,  97-92.

Game 2 -- Alaska  def. Meralco, 100-95.

TWO-TIME PBA Governors’ Cup runner Meralco and Alaska Milk clash in the pivotal Game 3 today with the winner moving a win away to a coveted finals appearance.

After  winning one  game each, the Bolts and the Aces are expected to go all out in their 7 p.m. encounter in a game that could make or break their fate in this season-ending, import-flavored conference.

Meralco coach Norman Black and Alaska mentor Alex Compton  vowed  to  make the  necessary adjustments in the third game of a series  which is  fast  turning out to be a chess match.

“We will go back to the drawing board and see what adjustments are  needed in Game 3,” said Black.

“It’s important  that  we come out with  more energy and we do a better job rebounding the ball,” added  Black, pointing to the Aces’ 45-38 advantage  in the rebounding department.

Black will  rely anew  on two-time Best Import winner Allen Durham, Chris Newsome,   Baser Amer,  Reynel Hugnatan and  Anjo Caram,

Compton was more than relieved in Alaska’s series-tying 100-95  win in Game 2 last Tuesday.

“We got out of a hole and we’ve now got a best-of-three. We had  much energy tonight (last Tuesday). But you can see the spirit of  Meralco in the end. Hindi talaga biro at dapat mas maganda ang ipakita namin,” explained Compton.

Like in Game 2, Compton hopes to get  a lot of energy again from  import  Mike Harris, Simon Enciso and Chris Banchero.

Harris came through with game-highs of 37 points and 19 rebounds, Enciso added  a  career- 23  that included  five three-pointers  and  Banchero  flirted with a near triple-double  with 13 points, 11 rebounds  and eight assists.

The two teams look capable of  making it all the way  to the finals.

Although  they have never won any title  yet since  entering the league in 2010, the Bolts reached  the  finals of the  season-ending  tournament  twice  in 2016 and 2017  only  to lose to  crowd favorite Barangay Ginebra.

The Aces, on  the other hand, are second winningest team in Asia’s first play-for-pay league with 14  titles, but  they  have never  won any title  in the last five seasons now, or since  their victory during the  2013 PBA Commissioner’s Cup.

The  winner  of  the   Meralco-Alaska showdown will meet  the victor of the   other semifinal match  between Magnolia and Ginebra.