MERALCO picked up where it left off last season, opening its PBA Governors' Cup campaign by escaping with a 99-94 win over Magnolia Chicken Timplados on Sunday at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
In their first game since winning the 2024 Philippine Cup final last June, the Bolts showed no signs of rust to pull off the victory in the PBA’s first game using the four-point shot that was introduced starting this season.
READ Chris Banchero hits the PBA's first four-point shot
The four-point attempt nearly became a game-winning shot for Magnolia but Glenn Robinson III missed on his shot in the final seconds of the contest.
Chris Banchero made the PBA’s first four-point shot, while Jolo Mendoza connected on the second while also making a couple of key shots from the other parts of the court on their way to the victory.
Allen Durham played bully ball and dominated the paint in his first game back with the Bolts after four years. He finished with 20 points and 16 reboundsand hit the final two free throws after the Robinson four-point miss to settle the final score.
Banchero added 14 points while Mendoza added 13 points on 4-of-4 shooting from the field for the Bolts, who also got 13 points and five rebounds from Chris Newsome.
Meralco coach Luigi Trillo said the team was visibly off-form.
“We’ve only had maybe six practices and two tune-up games so we know we are a little bit rusty on that. But I think this team is a veteran team,” said Trillo.
“AD (Durham) has been with us for a long time. We know he is not yet in peak form but he was up to the task of finding ways,” he added.
Robinson had 29 points and 11 rebounds for the Hotshots. He led a late fightback but opted to win the game outright for the Hotshots in the final moments by taking the four-point shot with his team trailing by three points.
He missed.
Ian Sangalang scored 17 point and six rebounds, while Paul Lee added 14 points including the Hotshots’ first four-point conversion for the team.
The scores:
Meralco 99 – Durham 20, Banchero 14, Newsome 13, Mendoza 13, Hodge 12, Quinto 9, Black 6, Rios 3, Pasaol 3, Cansino 2, Bates 2, Pascual 2, Caram 0, Torres 0.
Magnolia Chicken Timplados 94 – Robinson III 29, Sangalang 17, Lee 14, Barroca 9, Lucero 7, Ahanmisi 6, Dela Rosa 5, Laput 4, Mendoza 3, Abueva 0, Dionisio 0, Escoto 0.
Quarters: 16-12; 43-39; 74-63; 99-94.
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