CHRIS Banchero answered the call for Meralco as it repelled a huge endgame comeback by NLEX, 97-94, in a thrilling PBA Commissioner's Cup game on Sunday at the Philsports Arena.
Banchero scored on a high-arching floater with 2.8 seconds remaining to give the Bolts back the lead, 96-94.
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Don Trollano, whose pressure-packed three pointer tied the game at 94-all and capped a 29-point comeback by NLEX, then committed a stepping violation in the team's final play, allowing the Bolts to notch their fourth win in five outings.
"A win is a win," said Meralco coach Luigi Trillo after his team barely managed to hold on for the win despite losing a 77-48 spread late in the third period.
"We had a good first half, but I think everybody in the team will agree that we had a terrible second half," said Banchero, who finished with 15 points, three rebounds, and two assists.
A dampener, though, was the exit of import Suleiman Braimoh, who left at the final 3:50 mark of the game owing to a suspected torn Achilles.
"Seeing him (Braimoh) like that takes a little bit of the win for us," said Trillo of his import, who admitted hearing something pop in his foot when he went down with the injury.
Indeed, Meralco appeared ready to cruise to the win when it held NLEX to just 34 points at the half and later, erected that huge 29-point spread.
But Trollano caught fire in the third period and then connived with import Stokley Chaffee in a fiery fourth quarter as the Road Warriors finally caught up with the Bolts, 94-94, to set up the thrilling finish.
Before going out, Breimoh had a game-high 38 points and eight rebounds, while Chris Newsome hit 4-of-9 from beyond the arc for 14 points and Bong Quinto had 12.
Trollano had a team-high 24 points, the same output as Chaffee, who also had eight rebounds for the Road Warriors, now at 2-4 after losing consecutive games.
The scores:
Meralco (97) - Braimoh 38, Banchero 15, Newsome 14, Quinto 12, Almazan 6, Rios 5, Hodge 3, Dario 2, Jackson 2, Pasaol 0, Jose 0, Bates 0, Pascual 0.
NLEX (94) - Trollano 24, Chaffee 24, Anthony 11, Herndon 9, Semerad 8, Rosales 7, Nieto 4, Rodger 3, Miranda 2, Ganuelas-Rosser 2.
Quarterscores: 29-17; 54-34; 82-62; 97-94.
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