With Meralco and NorthPort each eyeing to bounce back, it was the Bolts who were rewarded with the victory in the PBA Season 49 Governors' Cup on Saturday, Sept. 14.
Meralco pounded a NorthPort side that played sans injury-hit Venky Jois most of the way and went on to secure a 114-104 win in the PBA Season 49 Governors' Cup on Saturday, Sept. 14.
The Bolts, coming off a 108-99 defeat at the hands of TNT in their last outing, quickly got back on their feet for a 6-2 card that gave them a spot in the quarterfinals together with their previous conqueror, the Tropang Giga (6-1).
The win also allowed Meralco to score a group stage sweep against the Batang Pier after also prevailing, 109-99, in their opening-round encounter last Sept. 1.
Jois left the game nearly nine minutes into 3:17 the opening frame after hurting his right foot that saw him get stretched out of the hardcourt.
The loss of the Australian reinforcement proved costly for NorthPort, which went on to suffer twin losses to slip to fifth at 3-5 in Group A play.
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Counterpart Allen Durham paced Meralco with his double-double outing of 23 points and 14 rebounds to lead five others that turned in double figures for the Bolts.
Chris Newsome tallied 20 markers and 11 boards, Chris Banchero scored 19, CJ Cansino and Brandon Bates each contributed 12 while Anjo Caram put in 10 for Meralco.
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Chris Banchero helped Meralco keep a safe distance from its foe with 5:55 left in the match, scoring a fadeaway jumper that stretched the Bolts' lead to 103-90.
But Cade Flores and Wil Navarro willed NorthPort with five quick, unanswered points in a span of 15 seconds to cut Meralco's lead down to single digits, 95-103.
Banchero and reigning Finals MVP Chris Newsome retaliated with the Bolts' own seven-to-nothing run to hike Meralco's lead back to 108-97 with 3:36 seconds left.
The reigning Philippine Cup champion remained in control after that.
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The scores:
MERALCO 114 – Durham 23, Newsome 20, Banchero 19, Cansino 12, Bates 12, Caram 10, Quinto 7, Almazan 6, Hodge 5, Pascual 0, Mendoza 0, Torres 0, Jose 0.
NorthPort 104 – Tolentino 28, Munzon 17, Cuntapay 12, Navarro 11, Yu 9, Flores 9, Amores 7, Jois 4, Bulanadi 4, Jalalon 3, Tratter 0, Onwubere 0, Nelle 0, Taha 0.
Quarterscores: 41-37, 67-59, 89-80, 114-104