MANILA: From being the lowest-ranked team in the playoffs, Meralco became the first team to make the PBA Governors’ Cup title series.
And making the achievement sweeter was that this will be the Bolts’ first shot at a championship since entering the league five seasons ago.
Cliff Hodge fired a career-high 32 points on Monday night and led the Bolts to a 94-88 conquest of sister team and top seed TNT KaTropa to close out their Final Four playoffs 3-1 at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao.
The win was the third straight for the Bolts, who caught fire at the right time in the series as the Texters continued to grope for form, winning just two games in the playoffs after topping the elimination round with a 10-1 card.
“All credit goes to the team for working so hard,” Meralco coach Norman Black, a man no stranger to playing in championship games, said with pride as his undermanned crew pulled out what many thought was improbable just a week ago.
“We know that we are not as strong as TNT, but if we focus on playing as a team, we can do anything,” added Black, whose last championship, interestingly enough, came with the same Talk ‘N Text crew in 2012 when he steered the Texters to a record third straight Philippine Cup title.
Ranked fourth in the playoffs, Meralco, just two nights after lighting up the scoreboard with 17 three-point conversions, won this one on the opposite end by holding the loaded Texters to their lowest production the entire conference.
Shooting 12-for-19 from the field topped by three triples, Hodge close to tripled his average of just over 11 points and provided the Bolts the offensive boost that they need with Jared Dillinger continuing to be out because of a hamstring pull suffered in a lopsided Game 2 win.
According to Black, Dillinger could be available to play in the Finals but wouldn’t be 100%.
Awaiting the Bolts will be the winner of the San Miguel Beer-Barangay Ginebra series, which will be decided when the defending champion Beermen and the crowd-darling Gin Kings square off in the rubber match of their separate best-of-five semifinal series on Tuesday night.
That game is slated at 7 p.m. also at the Big Dome with the Beermen hoping to take the momentum of a 29-point Game 4 victory into the rubber match.
Allen Durham scored 19 points and plucked down 16 rebounds for the Bolts.
“It’s not over yet, but I can’t be more happy for my players,” Black said. “I am hapy for them and the whole Meralco community.”
TNT lost Jason Castro, its team leader and leading scorer, while trailing, 76-83, after the fleet-footed guard was thrown out because of a second flagrant foul.
Castro still led the Texters with 25 points, with Ranidel de Ocampo adding 15.
Reynel Hugnatan, the hero in the Bolts’ Game 4 win, finished with 16, while rookie Chris Newsome continued to be amazing with 15.
And making the achievement sweeter was that this will be the Bolts’ first shot at a championship since entering the league five seasons ago.
Cliff Hodge fired a career-high 32 points on Monday night and led the Bolts to a 94-88 conquest of sister team and top seed TNT KaTropa to close out their Final Four playoffs 3-1 at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao.
The win was the third straight for the Bolts, who caught fire at the right time in the series as the Texters continued to grope for form, winning just two games in the playoffs after topping the elimination round with a 10-1 card.
“All credit goes to the team for working so hard,” Meralco coach Norman Black, a man no stranger to playing in championship games, said with pride as his undermanned crew pulled out what many thought was improbable just a week ago.
“We know that we are not as strong as TNT, but if we focus on playing as a team, we can do anything,” added Black, whose last championship, interestingly enough, came with the same Talk ‘N Text crew in 2012 when he steered the Texters to a record third straight Philippine Cup title.
Ranked fourth in the playoffs, Meralco, just two nights after lighting up the scoreboard with 17 three-point conversions, won this one on the opposite end by holding the loaded Texters to their lowest production the entire conference.
Shooting 12-for-19 from the field topped by three triples, Hodge close to tripled his average of just over 11 points and provided the Bolts the offensive boost that they need with Jared Dillinger continuing to be out because of a hamstring pull suffered in a lopsided Game 2 win.
According to Black, Dillinger could be available to play in the Finals but wouldn’t be 100%.
Awaiting the Bolts will be the winner of the San Miguel Beer-Barangay Ginebra series, which will be decided when the defending champion Beermen and the crowd-darling Gin Kings square off in the rubber match of their separate best-of-five semifinal series on Tuesday night.
That game is slated at 7 p.m. also at the Big Dome with the Beermen hoping to take the momentum of a 29-point Game 4 victory into the rubber match.
Allen Durham scored 19 points and plucked down 16 rebounds for the Bolts.
“It’s not over yet, but I can’t be more happy for my players,” Black said. “I am hapy for them and the whole Meralco community.”
TNT lost Jason Castro, its team leader and leading scorer, while trailing, 76-83, after the fleet-footed guard was thrown out because of a second flagrant foul.
Castro still led the Texters with 25 points, with Ranidel de Ocampo adding 15.
Reynel Hugnatan, the hero in the Bolts’ Game 4 win, finished with 16, while rookie Chris Newsome continued to be amazing with 15.
