The Meralco Bolts played uncharacteristically in the opener of the 2017 Governor’s Cup Finals on Friday night as far as shooting and ball security were concerned, that even Allen Durham did not like what he saw from the team.
“We didn’t shoot the ball well at all,” rued the 29-year-old, as Meralco shot just 40 percent in their 87-102 defeat. “You can’t beat a team like Ginebra and not shoot the ball well.
“We’re just kinda lazy. We didn’t play our game well tonight.
“[And] If you turn the ball over against a team like this, they’ll run out and its not gonna end well for you,” added the American reinforcement, as the Orangemen committed 12 turnovers that led to 14 points for the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel.
However, it wasn’t just shooting and miscues that caused Meralco problems. It was also in their rebounds, at which they failed miserably, 40-60. Furthermore, they also allowed Ginebra to grab 22 offensive boards.
“Well the whole conference we’ve been rebounding really well, and for whatever reason we let them grab 22 offensive rebounds,” exhaled Durham, who did almost everything for his team with 27 points, 14 boards, and seven assists.
“We just didn’t play our game tonight and it showed. They beat us by a lot.”
Still, the reigning Best Import gave credit to the defending champs, and Friday’s result will only help the Bolts work harder and prepare better for Game Two this coming Sunday, October 15, at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
“We were off for a little bit but I’m not gonna give any excuses. They just played a better game tonight,” he said.
“We’re just gonna try to make the necessary corrections and get ready for Sunday.”
