Bolts push panic button, tap new import vs Texters

With a short elimination play in the PBA Commissioner's Cup, it's understandable for Meralco to push the panic button and change its import at this stage of the tournament. The Bolts decided to dump slam dunk champion Anthony Dandridge in favor of Chamberlain Oguchi, who debuts Friday for Meralco when it meets sister team Talk 'N Text in the opening match of a scheduled twinbill at the Araneta Coliseum. With Dandridge around, the Bolts have yet to register a victory in three outings, and remain as the only winless team in the single-round robin phase. They almost broke through in their last match, but were not fortunate enough to prevent former San Miguel import Ira Brown from scoring the winning basket at the buzzer, 90-89. But Oguchi already faces his acid test in the 5 p.m. encounter as the Bolts will be up against a Tropang Texters team that's on a two-game winning streak after losing its debut game against Smart-Gilas, 103-98. Coach Chot Reyes said the tandem of Mercado and Cardona are definitely going to give his team match-up problems, especially with guards Jason Castro and Jared Dillinger not suiting up for the game. Castro, the co-Finals MVP of Jimmy Alapag in the last Philippine Cup, is nursing a sprained knee, while Dillinger has a strained shoulder. "We are playing a team with two of the best local scorers and without our top two defenders," said Reyes. "The unknown factor that is their import also makes today's game tough for us." Meanwhile, Barangay Ginebra (1-2) and Powerade (1-3) seek to end their respective two-game losing slumps as they clash in the 7:30 p.m. main game. The Kings lost consecutive games against Alaska and Derby Ace, where import Nate Brumfield came up with big numbers of 29 points and 15 rebounds, but only shot 13-of-21 from the foul line. The stocky import will be matched up against Powerade's Russel Carter, the most prolific import so far in the meet, but who was held to only 17 points in the Tigers' 92-102 defeat at the hands of league-leader Rain or Shine in their previous outing. - JVP, GMA News