Meralco loses to Ryukyu, drops to 4th in Group B

The Meralco Bolts suffered a home loss to the Ryukyu Golden Kings, dropping their East Asia Super League record to 2-3 with an 89-71 defeat on Wednesday.

Meralco fell behind by nine points at halftime and struggled without import Akil Mitchell, unable to recover despite Cliff Hodge and Ange Kouame each scoring 13 points.

Ryukyu's Victor Law led the way with a double-double of 20 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and two steals, while Alex Kirk and Keve Aluma added 19 and 18 points respectively, securing Ryukyu’s top seed in Group B.

The loss leaves Meralco in fourth place in Group B and facing tough competition against the New Taipei Kings on February 12 to secure a semifinals spot.

With only the top two teams from each group advancing, Meralco's playoff hopes are now slim as they face the New Taipei Kings who hold a slight edge with a record of 3-2.