Bolts blast Fuel Masters; Kings win
Games Wednesday (Smart Araneta Coliseum) 4:15 p.m. – Star vs Blackwater 7 p.m. – Tropang TNT vs Alaska
Jared Dillinger hit two clutch triples and Arinze Onuaku swatted away a desperation three-pointer by Josh Urbiztondo in the dying seconds as Meralco overcame an offensive struggle and hurdled Phoenix Petroleum, 90-87, to stretch its perfect run to four in the Oppo PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum last night.
The Fuel Masters had two chances to tie in the last 11 seconds but Andrew Adeleke fumbled a pass by RR Garcia and, in their next possession, Urbiztondo found himself in a crowded space, with his desperation heave being smothered by the wide-bodied Meralco import.
The Bolts thus moved a win away from matching their 5-0 start in this conference last season with import Josh Davis. It was the best start by the franchise in any tourney since joining the league in 2010.
“I’m proud of my team as we’re able to win when we couldn’t shoot straight. We’re missing our outside shots and we missed free throws in the end. Defense won it for us,” said Meralco coach Norman Black.
“It’s another big win for us. I hate going back to last conference, but it’s a big turnaround for us
from a poor conference,” Black also said as they remained the only unbeaten team.
Othyus Jeffers endured a sore back in the fourth quarter and matched his personal PBA best of 38 points that went with 20 rebounds as Barangay Ginebra chalked up a first win in the tourney with a 103-92 ripping of Rain or Shine later in the night.
Greg Slaughter also had double-double game with 16 points and 14 boards while Joe Devance and Japeth Aguilar combined for 23 markers as the Gin Kings broke into the win-column after back-to-back losses to NLEX and Globalport.
NOTES: Tropang TNT is bringing in David Simon, fresh from a stint in the Korean league, as the replacement to Ivan Johnson. The Vernon Hills, Illinois native is 33 and is listed as a 6-foot-9 center/forward. The scores: First Game Meralco 90 – Onuaku 17, Newsome 16, David 13, Dillinger 10, Amer 8, Hodge 8, Bono 4, Hugnatan 4, Nabong 4, Al-Hussaini 2, Caram 2, Faundo 2.
Phoenix 87 – Garcia 15, Adeleke 13, Baracael 13, Brondial 12, Wilson 10, Urbiztondo 9, Lanete 8, Monfort 5, Intal 2, Pennisi 0. Quarterscores: 19-23, 40-47, 67-67, 90-87 Second Game Ginebra 103 – Jeffers 38, Slaughter 16, Devance 13, Aguilar 10, Ellis 7, Thompson 5, Caguioa 4, Mercado 4, Tenorio 3, Marcelo 2, Cruz 1,
Rain or Shine 92 – Quinahan 21, Wright 16, Chan 13, Cruz 10, Ahanmisi 8, Belga 8, Ibanes 3, Almazan 2, Ponferrada 2, Tiu 1, Trollano 0.
Quarterscores: 28-23, 53-44, 82-70, 103-92.