Butch powers Meralco with 27 pts, 17 rebs

Games tomorrow (Smart Araneta Coliseum)

5:45 p.m. – Barako Bull vs Air21

8 p.m. – San Miguel Beer vs Talk n Text

MANILA, Philippines - Bryan Butch outshone reigning Best Import Rob Dozier and rookie guard Anjo Caram seized the moment while taking over from injured teammates as Meralco pulled the rug from under titleholder Alaska Milk, 85-76, in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum last night.

Butch drained six triples and finished with game highs of 27 points, 17 rebounds, two steals and two blocks while Caram orchestrated the team’s play with accuracy as the Bolts sprang back from a 76-94 blowout by the San Miguel Beermen in their tournament debut.

Reynel Hugnatan, Gary David and Clifford Hodge contributed double-digit outputs to help the Bolts score some measure of revenge against the team that knocked them out in a do-or-die battle for the last playoff spot in the last Philippine Cup.

Meralco thus tied Air21, Barako Bull and Barangay Ginebra at 1-1 while Alaska fell to 1-2.

“We did a good job competing today despite our obvious lack of arsenal because of injured players. We’re able to do the job because of defense,” said Meralco coach Ryan Gregorio.

“We found a way to beat the defending champs and that’s a welcome development after losing badly against San Miguel Beer,” Gregorio also said.

He also took notice of Butch and Caram’s superb performance.

“(Outside shooting) is really his strength. He’s a floor spacer, allowing the other guys to penetrate because of better spacing inside,” said Gregorio of their 6-foot-10 import with a soft shooting touch.

Caram, the lone rookie signed up by Meralco in the season, stepped up in the absence of Mike Cortez and Jared Dillinger.

“Nice sight for a player who’s supposed to be sitting farthest on the bench. He seized the day and did that magnificently,” said Gregorio.

The former San Beda playmaker delivered some clutch plays and wound up with seven points, three rebounds and three assists in what’s easily his best game in the pros.

Butch canned in a charity, David scored on a drive then Caram buried a trey as Meralco settled the outcome of the game at 84-72 inside the last two minutes.

Pounding the so-so games of Dozier, Sonny Thoss and Calvin Abueva, the Bolts dominated the Aces almost throughout the game marred by four technical infractions.

Back-to-back champ San Mig Coffee hardly showed championship hangover and opening-game jitters, opening its Commissioner’s Cup campaign with a 91-75 win over Globalport in the nightcap.

 â€œWe’re a little different this time around from last conference as we came back injury-free. And the guys enjoyed the break that we had,” said San Mig Coffee coach Tim Cone.

Both coaches Gregorio and Luigi Trillo were called a “T” in the first half for disrespectfully addressing game officials.

At the start of the third, Dozier was whistled a flagrant foul-penalty one for hammering Reynel Hugnatan in the head. A fourth technical infraction came from Vic Manuel who hit Butch with 1:27 left in the third.

Caram sank a jumper as Meralco led by 10, 22-12, at the start of the second quarter before settling for a 37-33 margin at the turn.

The Aces were hobbled by a flat start but rallied to within one, 33-34, late in the opening half behind the efforts of Cyrus Baguio and Jvee Casio.

 Baguio went 2-of-2 from the three-point area while Casio provided hustle plays in Alaska’s second-quarter chase.

The scores:

First Game

Meralco 85 – Butch 27, Hugnatan 14, David 12, Hodge 12, Caram 7, Mandani 5, Ildefonso 4, Guevarra 2, Wilson 2, Al-Hussaini 0.

Alaska 76 – Casio 19, Dozier 17, Baguio 12, Thoss 10, Manuel 6, Jazul 4, Espinas 3, Reyes 2, Abueva 2, Dela Cruz 1, Hontiveros 0.

Quarterscores: 20-12, 37-33, 61-54, 85-76

Second Game

San Mig Coffee 91 – Sangalang 16, Mays 15, Pingris 13, Barroca 11, Simon 10, Yap 10, Melton 7, Mallari 5, Devance 4, Cawaling 0, Reavis 0.

Globalport 75 – Brock 27, Washington 14, Garcia 9, Ponferrada 8, Chua 6, Cabagnot 5, Nabong 2, Romeo 2, Macapagal 2, Yee 0, Salvador 0, Custodio 0.

Quarterscores: 16-20, 47-32, 70-58, 91-75