Allen Durham played like a man-on-a-mission Sunday night as he was all over the court when the Meralco Bolts took on their 2016 Governors’ Cup tormentors Barangay Ginebra San Miguel.
The 6-foot-6 all-around import finished the game with 30 points, grabbed 24 rebounds, and dished out nine assists, leading Meralco to a 93-78 win over Ginebra. The nine assists was his PBA-best after playing for Barako Bull in 2014 and Meralco in 2016.
For Durham, 29, this was a testament to the trust that has developed between him and his teammates after experiencing triumphs and heartbreaks last season.
“I see these guys in practice and how much hard work they put in.
“I have no problem passing it to them and when they hit their shots like tonight, I do believe we’ll do pretty good this conference,” said the native of Wyoming, Michigan, who averaged 5.0 assists last Govs’ Cup.
Moreover, what astounded Durham was the vast improvement in Baser Amer’s game.
The last time he was here, Amer was still playing behind Jimmy Alapag. This time around, the San Beda product is now the lead floor general for the Bolts.
“Man, it’s unbelievable how much he’d grown in a matter of year.
“You know just having control of the game, and put us in the right spots on offense. It’s good to see and makes our jobs a lot easier playing with a kind of guy like Baser,” beamed Durham.
But with the conference still in its early stages, Durham is not getting ahead of himself, noting that they need to stay grounded for the entire grind.
“It’s just the second game of the conference so we got to stay humble, keep working hard and get ready for Saturday.”
