Meralco had an explosive third quarter that turned a close game into a blowout, routing Alaska, 89-74, to boost its bid for a top two finish in the 2018 Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum Sunday night.
Chris Newsome had a nice outing, scoring a team-high 18 points and eight assists to lead the Bolts’ balanced attack.
Still steady, Arinze Onuaku added a monster double-double with 14 points and 23 boards, while Jared Dillinger and Baser Amer added 17 markers each.
This fourth straight win was huge for Meralco as it tied Alaska for second place with their now identical 7-2 records.
“It was a good and needed win for us. We were able to get contributions from everyone while defending really well,” said Meralco coach Norman Black. “We give ourselves a chance to hopefully finish in the top two.”
Both teams are now fighting for a top two finish with two games left in hopes to earn a twice-to-beat incentive in the quarterfinals.
In the process, Meralco snapped the seven-game winning streak of Alaska, which was the league’s hottest team coming in.