WORKHORSE Allen Durham didn’t fail to acknowledge the big work Meralco’s bench mob has done to level the PBA Governors Cup finals series against Barangay Ginebra.
The Bolts’ import said the contributions made by the team’s second unit factored in the big 104-102 win it registered in Game 2 Friday night at the Quezon Convention Center in Lucena.
Back-up guard John Pinto led the charge with 12 points on a perfect 4-of-4 shooting from three-point range in the opening quarter, while Nico Salva and Anjo Caram hit big baskets in the second half to help the team bucked a spirited Ginebra comeback.
Salva finished with nine points, while Caram added five.
Their effort tied the best-of-seven series at 1-1 heading to Game 3 on Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
“Everybody came to play and that’s what we need for the remainder of the series,” said Durham of the Bolts’ supporting cast.
The two-time Best Import specifically had his hats off to Pinto, the stocky, tough point guard who set the tone for Meralco with that barrage of three-pointers in the first 12 minutes of the sellout game.
"The way that they play defense, they like to clog the paint. And when he got the first shot knocked down, he was ready to come in and catch and shoot," Durham said of Pinto. "His shots were falling and that really helped us out in the first half."
Meralco’s bench outscored its counterpart, 29-12.
In the series opener won by the Kings, 91-87, Ginebra won the battle of the bench, 11-6.
Despite the huge discrepancy, the Kings still managed to fight their way back from a 19-point deficit to make it a close affair down the stretch.
Durham, who finished with 21 points, 18 rebounds, and six assists, was no longer surprised.
“That’s why they’re a great team,” he said. “Tim Cone is one of the best coaches in the PBA. They made their adjustments. This is the finals. So you've got to expect their best in the second half and that's what they did," said Durham.
The Bolts led the Kings, 61-42, late in the second quarter, only to see Ginebra wiped out in the third after tying the game at 70-all.
But Baser Amer hit a three-pointer to restore order for the Bolts, who held on despite a strong finishing kick by the Kings to pull off the win.
"They started to make a little run and we got to shut down their run a little bit faster, a little bit sooner. But overall, I think we all played well. They did a box and 1 at us. We haven't seen that in a while, but we'll be ready for that in Game 3," added Durham.
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