Allen Durham made his return to Okinawa as a member of Meralco, but the night ended in disappointment as they succumbed to Ryukyu, 77-74, in the 2024-25 East Asia Super League (on Wednesday.
The loss comes after the Bolts secured a victory over Macau, 97-85, two weeks ago at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
The game saw a fierce contest, with Meralco trailing by nine points, 77-68, with just 2:36 left on the clock.
Displaying resilience, the Bolts made a valiant effort to rally, tightening both their offense and defense.
Allen Durham and Bong Quinto played pivotal roles in the comeback, scoring crucial buckets that narrowed the gap to three points, 77-74, with only 41.7 seconds remaining.
As the Golden Kings struggled to maintain their lead, Meralco’s defense zoned in, applying pressure and stifling Ryukyu’s attempts to pull away.
However, in the closing seconds, the Bolts’ bid to force overtime fell short when Durham’s three-point attempt at the buzzer missed its mark.
Durham led the Bolts with a solid performance, finishing with 18 points, nine rebounds, and five assists.
Despite his efforts, the Bolts’ record slipped to 1-1 in the EASL.
Fellow import DJ Kennedy contributed significantly with 30 points, while Chris Newsome added 18 points, but their contributions were not enough to clinch a win.
On the other side of the court, RVictor Law and Jack Cooley proved to be instrumental in the Golden Kings’ win, each scoring 18 points in their first win.
In another matchup of the day, the B.League champions Hiroshima made a strong impression in their EASL debut, defeating new team Hong Kong Eastern with a commanding score of 78-67 at the F-pico Arena in Fukuyama.
The Scores
Ryukyu 77 – Law 18, Cooley 18, Kirk 12, Eumatsu 9, Matsuwaki 9, Waki 6, Kishimoto 3, Arakawa 2, Onodera 0.
Meralco 74 – Kennedy 30, Durham 14, Newsome 14, Kouame 4, Quinto 4, Bates 0, Almazan 0, Caram 0.
Quarterscores: 23-18, 51-35, 66-57, 77-74.
