KJ McDaniels shouldered much of the offensive load for TNT in Game Two of its 2019 PBA Governors’ Cup semifinals battle versus counterpart Allen Durham and Meralco, Tuesday evening.
The former NBA cager dropped a game-high 51 points on 15-of-29 shooting from the field and also collected nine rebounds, six blocks, and three assists in over 44 minutes of action.
However, all his efforts went for naught. Instead, the Bolts proved too much, walking away with the 114-94 win. And for him, TNT relaxed too much because of its 1-0 lead.
“We took it for granted and they came out with a big run,” lamented McDaniels moments after the match.
By ‘big run’, he was referring to the 16-0 blitz that Meralco unloaded en route to an 18-3 start into the match. TNT failed to recover, even dropping by as many as 35 points.
Among those responsible for that burst was former two-time Best Import Durham, who notched a triple-double in the win with 44 points, 19 rebounds, and 11 assists.
Besides Durham, the other Orangemen also made significant contributions. Baser Amer, Chris Newsome, and Bong Quinto all finished in double figures.
So for McDaniels, defense will be their MO come Game Three on Thursday, December 19, still at the Big Dome.
“Defense. We got to play defense,” said the 26-year-old. “We got to make them miss shots instead of hoping they miss. They all came out prepared today. We just have to get better.
“That’s all we can do — get better. Accept this loss and come better prepared next game.”
