The usual suspects swooped in when the going got tough as Meralco owned Magnolia anew, 82-74, in their PBA Season 49 Governors’ Cup rematch in Panabo City, Davao del Norte on Saturday evening.
Allen Durham scored underneath, before Bong Quinto sank a lay-up off a nifty turnaround against Paul Lee in the post.
The two pushed the team’s lead to eight after the Hotshots got to within four, 74-70, with 2:14 left from 13 points down.
Chris Newsome and Chris Banchero then applied the finishing touches through separate trips to the foul line inside the final 40.2 seconds, and the Philippine Cup champs went on to regain the provisional lead in Group B at 5-1.
Newsome finished with 21 points, eight rebounds, and three assists to lead Meralco in sweeping its group stage series against Magnolia.
The Bolts downed the Hotshots back on Opening Night last August 18, 99-94, in a game that saw them catch a lucky break when Glenn Robinson III missed the potential game-tying four-pointer.
Robinson III, though, was no longer with his team in the out-of-town encounter as he was replaced by another NBA vet in Shabazz Muhammad.
Yet Magnolia played with an all-Filipino unit as the returning import, formerly of San Miguel, is still waiting for a transfer clearance from FIBA.
Still, he made it a point to join his team down South and watched from the sidelines.
The Hotshots did try to give their new reinforcement a fitting welcome by unleashing that furious fightback but then, Meralco – the team Muhammad first committed to in 2022 before backing out – denied them as much.
Quinto finished with 16 points and eight rebounds. Durham had a double-double of 15 points and 15 rebounds, while Chris Banchero added 10 in the win.
Now, the Bolts will shift their attention to Tuesday’s rematch with TNT – the team that dealt them their lone loss of the tilt so far. at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
Zavier Lucero, meanwhile, made 14 points and 13 rebounds to lead Magnolia in the defeat that snapped their two-game winning streak.
Mark Barroca had 12 points, four rebounds, and five assists, as Paul Lee and Jerrick Balanza added 11 and 10 markers, respectively.
The Hotshots will be back in action on Tuesday as well in another match against the struggling Dyip. They will hope to immediately arrest their skid against the same squad they beat by way of a 124-103 beatdown just last Sunday.
The Scores:
Meralco 82 – Newsome 21, Quinto 16, Durham 15, Banchero 10, Cansino 6, Bates 5, Pascual 4, Mendoza 3, Caram 2, Jose 0, Rios 0, Pasaol 0.
Magnolia 74 – Lucero 14, Barroca 12, Lee 11, Balanza 10, Sangalang 9, Abueva 7, Dionisio 7, Laput 2, Ahanmisi 2, Dela Rosa 0, Mendoza 0, Reavis 0.
Quarterscores: 19-14, 39-30, 62-49, 82-74.
