AFTER letting last year’s Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup title slip through their fingers the Meralco Bolts are eager for redemption.
The Bolts lost the crown to Barangay Ginebra on a buzzer-beating three-pointer by import Justin Brownlee over the blocking hand of Meralco counterpart Allen Durham.
The Bolts get their chance at redemption after sweeping their semifinal playoff over the Star Hotshots.
Meralco watched the Hotshots throw bricks in the dying seconds to escape with a 91-88 overtime victory and grab the first slot in the 2017 PBA Governors Cup Finals at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Durham was a horse at both ends of the floor all game long but the locals carried the scoring load in overtime.
Jared Dillinger, Ranidel de Ocampo and Cliff Hodge delivered the lethal baskets for the Bolts who gain another crack at the Governors’ Cup crown.
After playing a back-breaking schedule of eight games in 16 days, the Bolts get some well-deserved rest before playing for the title against either Barangay Ginebra or the TNT KaTropa Texters.
Barangay Ginebra and TNT KaTropa, who are playing Game 3 of their own semifinals as we went to press, are deadlocked at one win apiece.
The championship could be a repeat of the Ginebra-Meralco title duel last year or an MVP group of companies finale between the Bolts and the Texters.
After winning the first two games easily the Bolts walked the tightrope before eventually putting the Hotshots in the third match.
Meralco Bolts coach Norman Black said the game went exactly as he expected. The Hotshots never gave up but the Bolts were willing to gut out the victory and pull out all the stops.
“We had a hard time executing against their pressing defense. We needed to work hard. My hats off to my players, they’re the reason why we’re back in the finals,” said Black.
Chris Newsome drained a field goal to force an 83-all tie to go to overtime. The Bolts then seized control in the extension period, 88-83, after a three-pointer by Dillinger and an outside shot by De Ocampo.
Marc Pingris converted from close range to cut the Meralco lead, 88-85, but Hodge virtually sealed the outcome of the match with a three-pointer.
Durham finished with a triple double as he scored 24 points, grabbed 19 rebounds and issued six assists. He completely outplayed Star counterpart Kris Acox who just had four markers and nine rebounds.
Hodge finished with 18 points. De Ocampo chipped in 13 while Dillinger and Baser Amer came through with 10 markers each.