Chris Banchero had extra motivation in the Meralco Bolts commanding 111-94 victory over league-leading NorthPort Batang Pier in the PBA Commissioner's Cup.
Chris Banchero may have finally found his form in the PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup.
Dealing with injuries over the past few months, Banchero came alive for the Meralco Bolts to secure a 111-94 victory over the league-leading NorthPort Batang Pier on Tuesday, January 14, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila.
Banchero finished with a conference-high 25 points on 10-of-15 shooting from the field, along with four boards and six dimes.
“It's good to be back, it's always nice to be healthy. It was a very important game for us,” Banchero said during the post-game press conference.
“I was really excited to play NorthPort tonight because they were playing the best [basketball] in this conference, so we really wanted to see where we at, where we’re at as a team and I thought we responded well tonight,” he added.
Banchero’s return to form came after a challenging period on the sidelines due to a hamstring injury.
"I tore my hamstring in the tune-up game against Blackwater. I had just a small tear in there, so you know the hamstring's always tricky," he revealed. "Thanks to Doc [Rich] Pasion for the good rehab as always to get me back stronger."
With Banchero firing on all cylinders, Meralco seized control early, building a double-digit lead in the second quarter and maintaining the momentum throughout the second half.
Their defensive efforts and timely scoring frustrated NorthPort, who struggled to find their rhythm.
The Bolts, now riding a two-game winning streak, improved to a 6-3 record, tying them with Eastern and Converge FiberXers for third in the standings.
Meanwhile, the Batang Pier absorbed only its second loss of the conference but remains at the top of the standings with a 7-2 slate.
Akil Mitchell top-scored for Meralco with 30 points and 13 rebounds, while Chris Newsome added 15 markers in the win.
Kadeem Jack paced NorthPort with 29 points and 14 rebounds as Arvin Tolentino and Joshua Munzon combined for 7-of-21 from the field for 19 and 12 points, respectively.
The Bolts will aim to extend their winning streak to three games when they face the San Miguel Beermen on Saturday, January 18, in Candon City, Ilocos Sur.
The Scores:
MERALCO 111 – Mitchell 30, Banchero 25, Newsome 15, Quinto 8, Rios 8, Cansino 7, Mendoza 6, Caram 5, Almazan 4, Reyson 2, Pascual 1, Bates 0, Hodge 0, Torres 0
NORTHPORT 94 – Jack 29, Tolentino 19, Munzon 12, Navarro 11, Nelle 8, Onwubere 7, Miranda 5, Yu 3, Flores 0, Bulanadi 0, Cuntapay 0, Tratter 0, Taha 0
Quarterscores: 24-21, 54-44, 82-69, 111-94