NO. 8 ELITE SHOCK BOLTS
Games Today (Mall of Asia Arena) 4:15 p.m. – Rain or Shine vs TNT KaTropa 7 p.m. – San Miguel vs Ginebra
Allein Maliksi scored two clutch baskets, including the game-winning jumper with 9.5 seconds left and Blackwater stunned Meralco, 92-91, last night to force a rubber match in their quarterfinal duel in the PBA Governors’ Cup at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Playing his third game since being acquired from the Star Hotshots, Maliksi used a KG Canaleta screen from the left wing, received Henry Walker’s pass from the right side before unloading a freethrow line jumper that put the Elite ahead for good.
Blackwater’s tight defense forced Meralco to go with a contested onehanded jumper by Mike Tolomia that bounced off the back iron to seal its first-ever playoff win while moving within an earshot of becoming just the fourth No. 8 seed to beat the league’s top team in the quarterfinals.
The three teams that pulled off the trick were Barangay Ginebra against Mobiline in the 1999 All-Filipino Cup, San Miguel opposite Talk ‘N Text in the 2002 Governors’ Cup and Powerade over B-Meg in the 2012 Philippine Cup.
“We encouraged the players that it was done before – the No. 1 team getting booted out by the last qualifier – all we have to do was to play team basketball, give our hundred percent and maybe we can be one of those teams,” said Elite coach Leo Isaac, whose team tries to beat the Bolts in a knockout game tomorrow night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Maliksi, who finished with 15 points, shot just 6-of-15 from the field, including a missed three-pointer with the Bolts ahead 89-88 near the final minute. It didn’t take while for him to atone for his shooting struggles.
A Roi Sumang strip off Meralco import Allen Durham set up a short jumper by Maliksi with 33.6 remaining, 90-89 for Blackwater. Durham later missed two foul shots before making it up for it with a basket underneath against several defenders that included Maliksi to restore the Bolts’ lead, 91-90, 15.8 to go.
Walker, who scored 19 of his 30 points in the fourth, received Canaleta’s pass before finding Maliksi, who used Canaleta’s screen to evade Chris Newsome, to set up the eventual winner.
On the ensuing play, Newsome tried to score a jumper but decided to pass the ball to Tolomia with Walker challenging him, forcing the Bolts to go with a broken play that went for naught when Tolomia missed the game’s final shot.
Newsome had 19 points, eight rebounds and five assists while Durham, the frontrunner for the Best Import plum after the eliminations, finished with 18 points, 21 rebounds and seven assists for the Bolts. First Game BLACKWATER 92 – Walker 30, DiGregorio 20, Maliksi 15, Sumang 9, Erram 7, Marcelo 4, Sena 4, Canaleta 3, Belo 0, Pinto 0, Cruz 0. MERALCO 91 – Newsome 19, Durham 18, Hodge 18, Dillinger 12, Tolomia 11, Amer 8, Hugnatan 5, Lanete 0, Caram 0, De Ocampo 0. Quarters: 24-17; 42-40; 63-62; 92-91. Second Game STAR 89 – Acox 21, Lee 18, Sangalang 14, Pingris 8, Jalalon 7, Simon 7, Brondial 5, Ramos 3, Reavis 2, Barroca 2, Dela Rosa 2, Melton 0. NLEX 77 – Fuller 16, Mallari 15, Alas 14, Fonacier 9, Quinahan 6, Tiongson 5, Baguio 5, Rios 4, Al-Hussaini 3, Taulava 0, Soyud 0. Quarters: 23-22, 45-45, 61-63, 89-77.