By Jonas Terrado
Game Wednesday
(Smart Araneta Coliseum)
7 p.m. — Ginebra vs NorthPort
(Series tied 1-1)
Game Thursday
(Smart Araneta Coliseum)
7 p.m. — Meralco vs TNT KaTropa
(Series tied 1-1)
Meralco got back at TNT KaTropa behind a fiery start to come away with a 114-94 win and even their PBA Governors’ Cup semifinal series Tuesday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Meralco’s Allen Durham beats TNT KaTropa’s Ray Parks Jr., Roger Pogoy and KJ McDaniels for the rebound during Game 2 of their PBA Governors’ Cup semifinals at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. (MB Photo | Rio Deluvio)
A 16-0 run in the first period led by starters Allen Durham, Baser Amer, Chris Newsome and Bong Quinto set the tone for a lopsided victory that enabled the Bolts to level the best-of-five series at 1-1.
Durham wound up with 44 points, 19 rebounds and 11 assists, but the got the help that was lacking during Sunday’s 103-94 loss.
Amer scored 20 points, Quinto had 12 points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals and Newsome 11 points, four rebounds and four assists as Meralco led by as many as 35 during the second quarter (60-25).
“We displayed a much-better effort tonight right from the start of the game,” said Black, who rued Meralco’s lack of teamwork the last time.
“We had more focus, more energy. We played a lot more physical than we did in Game 1 and we executed well on offense, particularly in the first game. Those are the things that we have to do to beat TNT.”
TNT never got its bearings after Meralco’s run made it 18-3 with more than four minutes gone by in the contest.
KaTropa import KJ McDaniels tied his conference-high with 51 points, which he also did against Meralco last Oct. 12.
The difference was that TNT ended up losing the game as the likes of Jayson Castro and Roger Pogoy were forgotten figures.
Castro scored just seven points, all coming from the foul line as he missed all 10 attempts from the field.
Pogoy, meanwhile, went scoreless in 32 minutes.
Rookie Ray Parks Jr. was the only other TNT player in double figures with 12.
The scores:
MERALCO 114 — Durham 44, Amer 20, Quinto 12, Newsome 11, Almazan 9, Maliksi 8, Caram 4, Faundo 3, Hugnatan 3, Jackson 0, Hodge 0, Salva 0, Pinto 0.
TNT KATROPA 94 — McDaniels 51, Parks 12, Rosario 9, Castro 7, Digregorio 6, Vosotros 5, Semerad 2, Williams 2, Pogoy 0, De Leon 0, Reyes 0, Taha 0.
Quarters: 35-16; 63-29; 89-66; 114-94.
Source: Manila Bulletin
Xtra Sports ph 