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Romwel Anzures

ABS-CBN News

<div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-color:rgb(0, 0, 0)"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1717406004248IMG_4085.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Meralco’s Cliff Hodge against Ginebra. Photo from PBA Images.</div>MANILA — The Meralco Bolts are set to continue with their stellar run in the 2024 PBA Philippine Cup now that they are in the Finals.From almost needing a playoff just to enter the quarterfinals — wherein they defeated their eventual Finals foe and the erstwhile unbeaten San Miguel Beermen in the last game of the eliminations to avoid needing so — to enduring a 3-2 semifinals disadvantage against Barangay Ginebra, Meralco has seen it all. And these experiences, according to Bolts veteran Cliff Hodge, are why they know that they have a chance against the perennial powerhouse of the PBA. &quot;We&#x27;ve seen almost everything that could&#x27;ve happened to us at this conference, so I think that it&#x27;s something to lean on, that we can do whatever we put our minds to,&quot; said Hodge during the press conference of the 2024 All-Filipino Finals on Monday in Ortigas. &quot;We&#x27;re on the same page. If you followed us throughout the whole conference, it&#x27;s been an up-and-down conference. A month ago, we were like second to last, so we just believed that we could actually make it to the playoffs,&quot; he continued.This, says Hodge, was what they also applied when they were going up against their modern-day rival Ginebra in the semis — a team that they were previously 0-6 against in best-of-seven series.&quot;When we were down 3-2 against Ginebra, everyone thought we were out. But we believed in our coaching staff and our system, and we&#x27;re here now,&quot; he said, while also adding how their triumph over the Gin Kings is a huge confidence booster as they head into the championship round. &quot;It&#x27;s huge. We&#x27;ve never beaten them, and Coach Tim [Cone] is probably the GOAT coach here in the Philippines, so to finally beat them was just a huge accomplishment and resiliency from all of us,&quot; said Hodge.&quot;It&#x27;s just the belief that we&#x27;ve grown through each step of this conference, and that&#x27;s made us a better team already.Aside from this, however, one of the biggest motivations of the 6-foot-4, fourth overall pick of the 2012 PBA draft is having the chance to finally tally his first-ever championship in the league. &quot;Not winning a championship is one of the things that I&#x27;m scared of most, having a PBA career without winning one,&quot; said the 36-year-old.&quot;Every year I don&#x27;t win one, I go back to work, and I try my best to bring whatever the team needs from me to make it to this stage,&quot; he continued.<div></div><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);min-height:13.8px"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1717406147689IMG_2856.webp" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Meralco’s Cliff Hodge against Ginebra. Photo from PBA Images.</div>Hodge is 0-4 in the Finals, with all of these defeats coming against Ginebra, but this winless record is his biggest fuel now that he and the Bolts are entering the title round for the fifth time in their franchise history. &quot;I&#x27;m super hungry, I super want to win this, and I&#x27;m just gonna do whatever the team needs. Dive for every loose ball, try and get every rebound, all the hard work will be there, and hopefully that&#x27;s enough to finally win one,&quot; expressed Hodge.And while they are set to go up against a San Miguel squad who is gunning to sweep all the championships in Season 48, Hodge said that it is just a matter of leaning on their previous experiences as well as coming out as the hungrier team.&quot;I honestly think that it will be a long series just for the fact that we have two great coaching staffs,&quot; said the Filipino-American.&quot;I think it will go 6 or 7, and I think whoever is a little bit hungrier and whoever makes the better adjustments will win the series.&quot;&quot;But I think, it&#x27;s just following our coaches&#x27; game plan, system, staying together, trusting my teammates, and believing that we can actually do it,&quot; he ended.

The Meralco Bolts are set to continue with their stellar run in the 2024 PBA Philippine Cup now that they are in the Finals.

The Meralco Bolts are set to continue with their stellar run in the 2024 PBA Philippine Cup now that they are in the Finals.

Cliff Hodge eager to earn breakthrough PBA title against SMB

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Cliff Hodge eager to earn breakthrough PBA title against SMB

Romwel Anzures,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jun 03, 2024 06:00 PM PHT

Read More:

Basketball

PBA

ABSSports

Cliff Hodge

PBA Finals

Meralco Bolts

San Miguel Beermen

PBA Philippine Cup

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