PBA: Meralco beats TNT KaTropa, sets up third Finals showdown with Ginebra

By Jonas Terrado

Game on Jan. 8
(Smart Araneta Coliseum)
7 p.m. — Ginebra vs Meralco

ANTIPOLO CITY — Meralco set up a third title showdown with Barangay Ginebra San Miguel after beating TNT KaTropa 89-78 Monday in the deciding fifth game of their PBA Governors’ Cup semifinal series at the Ynares Center here.

Import Allen Durham bucked a quiet first half before rookie Bong Quinto and Chris Newsome delivered the killer blows in the fourth to give the Bolts a 3-2 series victory and the right to take on Ginebra in a best-of-seven showdown.

Game 1 of the Finals is set Jan. 8 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum with Meralco seeking payback for its defeats to Ginebra in the 2016 and 2017 editions of the season-ending conference.

“We feel like there’s unfinished business,” said Meralco coach Norman Black. “We had two rounds with Ginebra and lost both. We’re looking forward to the third round and we want to change things around and come out the victors this time.”

Durham posted 28 points despite a 6-of-15 shooting with 10 rebounds and eight assists but Newsome and Quinto provided 23 and 19 points as the Bolts’ locals outplayed their more-talented KaTropa counterparts.

Quinto made the Bolts’ first eight points to turn a 66-61 lead after three quarters into a 74-62 advantage with less than three minutes into the fourth.

Newsome then took the cudgels from Quinto and scored several layups to pad the margin into double digits.

TNT’s season came to an end despite having two chances to close it out and advance to a second straight Finals appearance.

The KaTropa were ahead 42-37 at the break with rookie Ray Parks Jr. scoring 13 of his 15 in the first two quarters and Durham getting shut down behind the defense of David Semerad.

But Durham eventually got his groove in the third even as TNT cooled off with Troy Rosario, Jayson Castro and Roger Pogoy non-existent.

Castro was able to finish with 11 points and Pogoy and Rosario 10 each but their output spiked when TNT tried in vain to make a miracle comeback in the dying minutes.

The three combined to shoot 13-of-36 from the field which contributed to TNT’s downfall.

Import KJ McDaniels had 30 points and 13 rebounds for the KaTropa.

The scores:

MERALCO 89 — Durham 28, Newsome 23, Quinto 19, Maliksi 11, Hodge 3, Caram 3, Amer 2, Almazan 0, Faundo 0, Salva 0, Pinto 0, Jackson 0, Jamito 0, Jose 0.

TNT KATROPA 78 — McDaniels 30, Parks 15, Castro 11, Pogoy 10, Rosario 10, Semerad 2, De Leon 0, Reyes 0, Washington 0, Vosotros 0.

Quarters: 22-23; 37-42; 66-61; 89-78.

Source: Manila Bulletin