Bolts salvage last semis slot, seek final vs Petrochimi

MANILA, Philippines — The Meralco Bolts, who salvaged the last semifinal berth in the FIBA Asia Champions Cup on a decisive win over Al-Riyadi of Lebanon late Saturday, take a shot at the finale versus the Iran national team playing under the banner of Petrochimi in the penultimate play date of the tourney today in Nonthaburi, Thailand.

Lackadaisical in their first two games in the tourney, the Meralco locals finally got into the groove and complemented well with imports Allen Durham and Diamond Stone as the Bolts shocked the defending champion Lebanon squad, 96-63, in the last game of the elims.

Entering the game, the Bolts needed to win by 11 points or more to make the semifinals.

But the Bolts didn’t flinch in their situation, bucking tremendous odds to dethrone the Lebanese and join Petrochimi, Alvark Tokyo and the SK Knights of Korea in the semis.

The Filipinos and the Iranians clash at 6 p.m. then the Koreans and the Japanese slug it out at 8:30 p.m.

Sajjad Mashayekhi, Behnam Yakhchalidehkordi, Arsalan Kazemi Naeini, Rouzbe Arghavan, Mohammad Jamshidi, Vahid Dalirzahan and Meisam Mirzaeitalarposhti banner the Iranian team, which scored a perfect 3-0 slate in its group in the elims.

Meralco (1-2) barely tied Mono Vampire (1-2) and Al-Riyadi (1-2) at second behind Alvark Tokyo (3-0) in Group B. The Bolts made the semis by virtue of a superior quotient.

Stone and Garvo Lanete top scored with 20 points each, Niño Canaleta contributed 18 markers with 4-of-6 three-pointers while AJ Caram and Durham added 11 and 10, respectively, as the Bolts demolished Al-Riyadi.