(PBA image)
Meralco is getting timely reinforcements — courtesy of NLEX — as the Bolts brace for their biggest game of the season in the East Asia Super League (EASL).
With regular import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson sidelined by injury, Meralco secured a temporary loan of 6-foot-10 Haitian big man Cady Lalanne from the NLEX Road Warriors ahead of its crucial group-stage showdown against the Ryukyu Golden Kings at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The move, approved by NLEX team governor Ronald Dulatre and coordinated by Meralco team manager Paolo Trillo with PBA commissioner Willie Marcial, gives the Bolts a much-needed interior presence at a time when their EASL campaign hangs in the balance.
Lalanne, 33, was originally signed by NLEX as its import for the upcoming PBA Commissioner’s Cup, which tips off March 11. A second-round pick by the San Antonio Spurs in the 2015 NBA Draft, the Port-au-Prince native brings size, experience, and a physical inside game that Meralco hopes will tilt the scales in its favor.
His arrival couldn’t be more critical.
Meralco enters the final playdate of the EASL Home and Away Season 3 group stage holding a 3-2 record, good for third place in Group B. Ryukyu leads the standings at 4-1, while the Taoyuan Pilots sit at 4-2.
The playoff equation is razor-thin.
A victory over Ryukyu would create a three-way tie for first place among the Bolts, Golden Kings, and Pilots. But simply winning isn’t enough. Meralco must prevail by at least six points to secure a semifinals berth. A margin of five points or fewer will fall short of qualification.
If the Bolts dominate by 20 points or more, they won’t just advance — they’ll seize the top seed in the group.
A loss, however, means outright elimination.
With Lalanne expected to anchor the paint alongside fellow import Ismael Romero and naturalized standout Justin Brownlee, Meralco is banking on size, rebounding, and interior defense to counter Ryukyu’s firepower.
For a franchise still chasing its first-ever EASL playoff appearance, the stakes couldn’t be higher.
The rebranded EASL Finals are scheduled from March 18 to 22 in Macau.