MANILA — Missing three key frontcourt players, the Meralco Bolts still found a way to beat the full-strength Barangay Ginebra Kings, 84-82, to stay alive in the hunt for a playoff spot in the 2018 PBA Philippine Cup at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan on Sunday night.
Meralco thus improved to a 4-6 win-loss record, tying TNT and Blackwater at ninth to 11th place in the standings. The Bolts could still make it to the Top 8 with a win in its last elimination round game against Magnolia on Saturday.
The win avenged Meralco’s Game 7 defeat against Ginebra in the finals of last season’s Governors’ Cup. It also prevented the Kings from clinching an outright quarterfinals berth. Ginebra now carries a 5-5 card at solo sixth place, with Rain or Shine (5-3) as their last elimination round opponent on March 2.
With Cliff Hodge, Ranidel de Ocampo, and Jared Dillinger all sidelined by injuries, Meralco found an unlikely hero in seldom-used big man Jason Ballesteros. The 6’7” center, recently re-acquired from the free-agent market, nailed the winning basket on a putback and then a split from the charity stripe in the game’s final minute. Ballesteros finished with just seven points but hauled down a team-high 17 rebounds. When Ginebra’s Japeth Aguilar launched a three-point shot at the buzzer that could have sent the game into overtime, Ballesteros was also there to challenge the shot, causing Aguilar to miss, thus ensuring Meralco’s stunning come-from-behind victory.
Meralco had two other unlikely heroes in Garvo Lanete and Anjo Caram. Lanete led the Bolts’ offense with 19 points, including three triples. Caram, on the other hand, scored a career-high 16 points.
Starters Reynel Hugnatan and Chris Newsome added 12 points apiece.
Aguilar led the Kings with 20 points, seven rebounds, and three assists, while Scottie Thompson had a double-double 17 points and 13 rebounds along with five assists that meant nothing in the end.
Ginebra was still up, 77-69, with six minutes left when Meralco unleashed a 12-3 run to grab an 81-80 lead at the 1:17 mark.
The Ginebra loss spoiled the return of Joe Devance and Aljon Mariano from the injury list. Devance and Mariano finished with just four and three points, respectively.
NLEX 93, Blackwater 90
The NLEX Road Warriors roared to their fourth straight win and into the quarterfinals of the PBA Philippine Cup with a hard-fought 93-90 victory over the Blackwater Elite Sunday.
NLEX thus improved to a 6-4 win-loss mark, tying idle Alaska at fourth to fifth spot in the standings.
Blackwater absorbed its sixth loss in 10 games. To stay alive, the Elite need to score a victory in their last elimination round game — against the Phoenix Fuel Masters (4-5) — Wednesday.
Kevin Alas exploded for a career-high 25 points — including five three-pointers all scored in the fourth quarter, along with eight rebounds and five assists in 29 minutes off the bench — to lead the Road Warriors to victory.
Alas’ streak shooting enabled NLEX to raze a nine-point deficit, 65-74, at the start of the fourth quarter and build a six-point lead, 84-78, with 7:04 remaining.
Blackwater fought back and cut the lead down to three, 93-90, with seven ticks remaining. The Elite had the chance to send the game into overtime, but Mac Belo’s last-gasp three-point shot was off as the final buzzer sounded.
Kiefer Ravena had another productive night for NLEX, finishing with 23 points, including four three-pointers, along with three boards, and three steals. Juami Tiongson added nine points, four rebounds, and three assists.
Mike DiGregorio led the Elite with 16 points while JP Erram finished with a double-double 14 points and 17 rebounds in a losing effort.
Games Wednesday: Kia Picanto (1-8) vs. GlobalPort Batang Pier (4-5) and Blackwater Elite (4-6) vs Phoenix Fuel Masters (4-5).
