Akil Mitchell eager to go up against Kadeem Jack, Northport

MANILA, Philippines—After another big win in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup, Meralco import Akil Mitchell immediately turned his attention to the Bolts’ next assignment, which is shaping up to be a tough one.

 Meralco knocked off NLEX, 105-91, on Friday but Mitchell is already looking forward to the squad’s next task against league leader, Northport, where he will go up against fellow import Kadeem Jack.

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READ: PBA: Akil Mitchell, Meralco bounce back to start year on winning note

“I’ve known the name Kadeem Jack for a little while now but I haven’t been too familiar with his game but I’ve heard the name. I’ve seen them play once or twice but we’ll dive into some more film over the next couple of days,” said Mitchell.

“They’re obviously winning games so we’ll come in with a chip on our shoulders, ready to knock off that top team. You want to talk about a big win? That’ll be huge and really big for us so the guys will all be motivated and I’ll for sure be motivated to go up against [someone with] a good name and a team that’s winning.”

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Mitchell starred anew for the Bolts in their victory over the Road Warriors with a double-double of 24 points and 12 rebounds alongside six assists and four steals.

READ: PBA: Justin Brownlee, Akil Mitchell feel Christmas love away from home

The seasoned import also took just five minutes of rest to power Meralco to a 5-3 card.

But Mitchell has his work cut out for him against the Batang Pier import Jack, who was instrumental in his team’s impressive 7-1 card.

NorthPort Batang Pier import Kadeem Jack. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

The Batang Pier’s reinforcement dropped a monster double-double of 32 points and 16 rebounds in the squad’s most recent win against Ginebra on Wednesday.

While the clash of two gargantuan imports is a sight to anticipate, Meralco coach Luigi Trillo is excited to go up against a squad that made a complete 180-degree turn from last conference.

“Northport’s playing well. They found their rhythm and their import seems like a good fit, he brings a lot to the table. They found good rhythm, made some trades and those trades helped them, they have more balance,” said Trillo.

“They’re playing well at 7-1. I’m pleased with the way we played defense tonight and we need to follow it up again [against them],” he added.

Mitchell’s matchup with Jack will commence on Tuesday at the same venue.