PBA: TNT KaTropa escapes Meralco to grab 2-1 lead

By Jonas Terrado

Game Friday
(Smart Araneta Coliseum)
7 p.m. — NorthPort vs Ginebra
(Ginebra leads series 2-1)

Game Saturday
(Ynares Center, Antipolo City)
6:30 p.m. — TNT KaTropa vs Meralco
(TNT leads series 2-1)

TNT KaTropa survived another dominant display by Meralco import Allen Durham to hack out a 101-97 win Thursday and gain a 2-1 lead in their PBA Governors’ Cup semifinal series at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Struggling for almost two-thirds of the match, import KJ McDaniels found ways to make an impact with his rebounding and crucial baskets in the fourth to give the KaTropa a hard-fought victory that put them on the threshold of another finals appearance.

McDaniels scored 10 of his 18 points in the payoff period, including a tip-in off a missed runner by Jayson Castro that gave TNT a 100-97 lead, 35.9 seconds remaining.

The KaTropa also benefited from a major blunder from Durham, who threw a corner pass to no one thinking that teammate Cliff Hodge was in the game.

Hodge was standing at the sidelines when Durham, who thought that a Meralco player was open, made the error with 11 seconds left.

It was a terrible ending to what was another strong showing from Durham, who finished with 32 points, 19 rebounds and seven assists.

A split by Castro, 10.3 to go, sealed the final count for TNT, which bounced back from a 114-94 defeat two nights ago.

TNT can finish the job on Saturday when the series shifts to the Ynares Center in Antipolo City for Game 4.

Troy Rosario topscored with 25 points, Castro had 17, Roger Pogoy 15 points and eight rebounds and rookie Ray Parks Jr. 12 points, seven rebounds, five assists and three steals.

McDaniels had 14 rebounds to make up for his early offensive struggles.

Coach Bong Ravena, active consultant Mark Dickel and the KaTropa fashioned out the win despite going down 53-42 at the start of the third.

Meralco was ahead 64-57 when Jayson Castro knocked down a triple and Ryan Reyes hit back-to-back from rainbow territory to make it 66-64 in favor of TNT, 3:41 left in the third.

TNT went up 82-71 almost a minute into the fourth as McDaniels scored a three-point play.

But the Bolts eventually came back and took the lead twice, the last on Newsome’s three with under two minutes remaining for 97-96.

Castro answered for 98-97 KaTropa before McDaniels made the crucial tip-in a few possessions later.

The scores:

TNT KATROPA 101 — Rosario 25, McDaniels 18, Castro 17, Pogoy 15, Parks 12, Reyes 9, De Leon 5, Digregorio 0, Williams 0, Vosotros 0.

MERALCO 97 — Durham 32, Newsome 20, Amer 19, Quinto 8, Pinto 5, Caram 4, Almazan 4, Hodge 3, Maliksi 2, Faundo 0.

Quarters: 23-29; 42-51; 77-71; 101-97.

Source: Manila Bulletin