EASY RIDE TO QUARTERFINALS Bolts streak past Elite
Meralco made mincemeat of also-ran Blackwater in a lopsided 102-75 victory that assured the Bolts an outright quarterfinals berth in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the MOA Arena in Pasay City last night.
With an unforgiving defense and an above 50-percent shooting clip from the field majority of the game, the Bolts thoroughly beat the Elite in the first three quarters, leading by as many as 41 points before eventually wrapping up a third straight win and their sixth in eight games in all. The Elite dropped to 1-9. Coach Norman Black and his troops are in contention for a Top Two finish as they play their last three games in the elims versus Alaska Milk, Rain or Shine and Magnolia.
Rain or Shine (7-1) and TNT KaTropa (6-2) pursue their own Top Two aspirations as they tangle with Phoenix Petroleum (3-5) and San Miguel Beer (3-4), respectively, in a crucial Petron Blaze Saturday doubleheader tonight, also at the MOA Arena.
The Beermen and the Fuel Masters, meanwhile, are fighting to keep their quarterfinal hopes alive.
“I thought my guys played with a sense of urgency tonight (last night). It was a mustwin situation for us, especially with the three games coming up in our schedule,” said Black.
The Bolts core group, led by hulking import Arinze Onuaku, pummeled the Elite badly in each of the first three quarters before the Meralco third group finished off the hapless Elite.
Antonio Campbell made two big treys in the fourth quarter to highlight a 28-point game while Chris Banchero scored 10 of his 12 points in the last five minutes of the game as Alaska Milk thwarted NLEX, 120-111, to boost its Top Two drive later in the night.
“Coach was telling me of their losing record against NLEX, but I told them I wasn’t here then. Before the game, I said we’re gonna get the ‘W,’ and that’s what we did,” said Campbell.