MANILA: For a team that looked to didn’t have a chance the last time out, Meralco played like the pre-series favorite that it is not and made TNT KaTropa look so, so bad.
The Bolts came up with a big opening quarter and turned in a wire-to-wire 106-91 triumph that squared their best-of-five Final Four playoff in the PBA Governors’ Cup with the Texters after two games at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao on Thursday night.
“We played a lot better tonight compared to the last game,” Meralco coach Norman Black said. “A lot of things we talked about after the Game 1 loss worked today, especially our play in the second half.”
In the series opener, the Texters blew the Bolts off the floor in the final two periods after Meralco had dragged TNT into a nip-and-tuck contest.
It wasn’t even close in Game 2 as the Bolts opened up double digit leads early, was ahead by 14 at the half and led by as large as 24 early in the fourth period in a complete change in form very few expected.
“We made some outside shots today, something we couldn’t do the last game,” Black said. “That’s really key for us, because we need to find a way to give AD (Allen Durham) the space on the floor he needs.”
Durham scored 31 points and had 21 rebounds – seven of them off the offensive end – in leading the Bolts, who could have paid a hefty price for the win, though, with the veteran Jared Dillinger looking to have pulled a hamstring with 1:07 to go and the outcome already decided.
Dillinger intercepted a pass to Troy Rosario and dashed for home for an unmolested layup, only to land holding on to his right hamstring and unable to walk. He immediately gave Black a signal to be replaced, something that doesn’t augur well for the already manpower-disadvantaged Bolts for the rest of the series.
“I’m not sure what happened to JD (Dillinger) in that last play,” Black said. “He will be a big loss in this series, although we have to find out what his injury is first. Hopefully, he’s OK. But it didn’t look good judging from his initial reaction.”
The Texters came out flat and without the bounce that it had in Game 1. The game was tied only at 2-all and after the Bolts took the lead with a Durham basket, Meralco was never headed the rest of the way.
“I am sure coach Jong (Uichico of TNT) will come up with something different, something new,” Black said. “We have to be prepared for those adjustments.”
So out of synch were the Texters that Uichico practically threw in the towel after the third period, which the Bolts closed out with an 80-60 lead.
Jason Castro didn’t see any action in the final frame after firing 24 in the first three.
“He (Castro) still got away with a lot (of points) despite the limited (playing) time,” Black said. “I don’t know what was wrong with him.”
Dillinger, according to team sources, was to be taken to the hospital right after the game, though the initial prognosis was a pulled hamstring, which takes a lot of time to heal.
Game 3 is slated on Saturday.
Rookie Chris Newsome continued to have a great series, shooting 17 for the Bolts while at the same time doing a good job defensively on Castro. Jimmy Alapag, Cliff Hodge and Reynel Hugnatan were the others in twin digits for Black.
Meanwhile, defending champion San Miguel Beer and Barangay Ginebra break a 1-1 tie in their half of the semifinals in the 7 p.m. contest on Friday also at the historic Big Dome floor.
The Beermen will come into the game with some sort of momentum after gutting out a 95-92 Game 2 win on Wednesday night.
The Bolts came up with a big opening quarter and turned in a wire-to-wire 106-91 triumph that squared their best-of-five Final Four playoff in the PBA Governors’ Cup with the Texters after two games at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao on Thursday night.
“We played a lot better tonight compared to the last game,” Meralco coach Norman Black said. “A lot of things we talked about after the Game 1 loss worked today, especially our play in the second half.”
In the series opener, the Texters blew the Bolts off the floor in the final two periods after Meralco had dragged TNT into a nip-and-tuck contest.
It wasn’t even close in Game 2 as the Bolts opened up double digit leads early, was ahead by 14 at the half and led by as large as 24 early in the fourth period in a complete change in form very few expected.
“We made some outside shots today, something we couldn’t do the last game,” Black said. “That’s really key for us, because we need to find a way to give AD (Allen Durham) the space on the floor he needs.”
Durham scored 31 points and had 21 rebounds – seven of them off the offensive end – in leading the Bolts, who could have paid a hefty price for the win, though, with the veteran Jared Dillinger looking to have pulled a hamstring with 1:07 to go and the outcome already decided.
Dillinger intercepted a pass to Troy Rosario and dashed for home for an unmolested layup, only to land holding on to his right hamstring and unable to walk. He immediately gave Black a signal to be replaced, something that doesn’t augur well for the already manpower-disadvantaged Bolts for the rest of the series.
“I’m not sure what happened to JD (Dillinger) in that last play,” Black said. “He will be a big loss in this series, although we have to find out what his injury is first. Hopefully, he’s OK. But it didn’t look good judging from his initial reaction.”
The Texters came out flat and without the bounce that it had in Game 1. The game was tied only at 2-all and after the Bolts took the lead with a Durham basket, Meralco was never headed the rest of the way.
“I am sure coach Jong (Uichico of TNT) will come up with something different, something new,” Black said. “We have to be prepared for those adjustments.”
So out of synch were the Texters that Uichico practically threw in the towel after the third period, which the Bolts closed out with an 80-60 lead.
Jason Castro didn’t see any action in the final frame after firing 24 in the first three.
“He (Castro) still got away with a lot (of points) despite the limited (playing) time,” Black said. “I don’t know what was wrong with him.”
Dillinger, according to team sources, was to be taken to the hospital right after the game, though the initial prognosis was a pulled hamstring, which takes a lot of time to heal.
Game 3 is slated on Saturday.
Rookie Chris Newsome continued to have a great series, shooting 17 for the Bolts while at the same time doing a good job defensively on Castro. Jimmy Alapag, Cliff Hodge and Reynel Hugnatan were the others in twin digits for Black.
Meanwhile, defending champion San Miguel Beer and Barangay Ginebra break a 1-1 tie in their half of the semifinals in the 7 p.m. contest on Friday also at the historic Big Dome floor.
The Beermen will come into the game with some sort of momentum after gutting out a 95-92 Game 2 win on Wednesday night.
