Third time a charm for Durham, Meralco Bolts?

With three days left before the start of the season-ending Governors’ Cup of the 43rd season of the Philippine Basketball Association, hope once more springs eternal in the camp of the Meralco Bolts.

For one thing, they have all their players back. They’ve been rather unlucky having key players in and out of the lineup over the past couple of years especially during their runs to the playoffs. Now, head coach Norman Black is hoping their luck changes.

“We aren’t in a situation like Ateneo where I can recruit players to plug holes,” explained the multititled hoops mentor. “We have to work within the rules of the draft and free agency and people aren’t going to simply trade their top players to help us. So we work with who we have and hope that there are opportunities to build the team.”

During the Philippine Cup, the Bolts finished with a 4-7 slate. They did better in the Commissioner’s Cup with Arinze Onuaku back. They reversed the tide with a 7-4 record, but were bounced in the quarterfinals — by Barangay Ginebra with a two-game sweep.

This is the third consecutive Governors’ Cup where their American reinforcement Allen Durham is returning. In his previous two stints with the Bolts, they fell to Barangay Ginebra in the finals. Does he think that third time is the charm?

“I don’t know,” parried Durham. “What I have learned through the years is to put what happened in the rearview mirror and just look to what’s next. If you do, you’ll get bogged down with the frustrations.”

Unlike in previous seasons where Durham flew into Manila coming off stints abroad, this time, he’s well rested.

“Yeah, I took a rest because I got engaged,” he shared. “So I coming into this conference happy and motivated.” —