Bolts pull away from FiberXers for 3rd straight win

MANILA, Philippines – The Meralco Bolts pulled away in the second half and won their third straight game in the PBA Governors' Cup at the expense of Converge,116-88, to deal the FiberXers their second straight loss Wednesday evening at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City. 

Allen Durham sparked the Bolts with 27 points, 14 rebounds and six assists. Chris Banchero backstopped with 24 markers, five boards and five dimes. 

With Meralco holding a one-point lead, 64-63, with 7:18 remaining after a layup by Converge import Scotty Hopson, the Bolts broke the game wide open, thanks to timely shots by Anjo Caram. 

They unleashed a 13-4 run capped by a deuce by Banchero to push the lead to 13, 80-67.

A Hopson and-one halted the blitz, 70-80, but Meralco remained hot. 

The Bolts continued their blistering offensive game with a 13-3 run traversing to the final quarter, and they did not let up. 

The lead grew to as much as 30 points, 114-84, after a layup by Raymar Jose that went in while being fouled. 

“We didn’t start out too well like last game. But as the game progressed, it seems like we had more of a sense of urgency defensively. I thought we played better defense in the second quarter and we started that third quarter great,” head coach Luigi Trillo said. 

“But, what’s nice is that you have guys like Anjo. He’s a pro. He’s ready to play. Guys go down, not only him, Alvin [Pasaol] also played well today. So, the other guys who don’t really get as many minutes were huge today in their contributions for us,” he added. 

It was a game of runs, with Converge holding a 15-point lead, 23-8, early in the first quarter. 

However, Meralco slowly but surely chipped away the lead and eventually overtook the opposition thanks to the hot shooting of Banchero and Durham. 

Caram added 16 points, with 11 coming in the third frame, while Pasaol had 12. Jolo Mendoza chipped in 10 markers off the bench. 

Scotty Hopson finished with 33 points, six rebounds and six assists. Alec Stockton and JL delos Santos added 13 and 12 points, respectively. 

With the win, the Bolts are now holding a 4-1 win-loss record, good to take the top spot of Group A play. The FiberXers, on the other hand, slipped to 2-3.