The Meralco Bolts knew that they would be in for a tough challenge against 2019 PBA Governors’ Cup leaders — and one of the favorites — TNT KaTropa, Saturday evening, especially with KJ McDaniels around.
They then devised plans to try to stop the former NBA cager. But according to Allen Durham, their failure to execute doomed the Bolts.
McDaniels had his way all over the court, dropping 51 points on a 68.0-percent shooting clip alongside 10 rebounds and four blocks. His performance powered the KaTropa to a 116-113 victory.
“We had a game plan and we didn’t execute it to the best of our abilities, so that’s what happened. He did what he does best,” Durham, an eight-year pro from Wyoming, Michigan, said. “He got to the line, shot threes, got to the bucket.
“He’s an NBA talent. We saw that tonight.”
The defeat is tougher to fathom since Meralco lost in disappointing fashion. It had a fiery start to the match when it built a 32-13 lead, only to lose in the end by just three points.
Durham admitted that he and the Orangemen expected their huge lead not to hold long given TNT’s pedigree, but this should serve a lesson for them come their next assignments.
“We knew they’re the top team in the league, so we knew the lead wasn’t gonna hold up.
“But I think if we can have this position again, we gotta learn how to stop their run a little bit faster than letting the whole lead going all the way down,” said the former two-time Best Import.
The loss also wasted the 43-point, 12-rebound, and nine-assist effort of Durham. On the other hand, he might have sent the game into OT had he made his trey at the buzzer.
Still, the 31-year-old isn’t dwelling on the loss that snapped Meralco’s two-game winning streak.
“Man, it felt good. I thought it was going in. It felt good,” he said. “But it didn’t bounce our way this time.
“So we gotta forget about it and we gotta get ready for everybody at Blackwater, because they’re a good team as well.”
