Beermen snap slump, crush Bolts

SAN MIGUEL Beer ended a nightmarish run with a 102-86 rout of a Meralco squad that lost its import to a bad injury in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup yesterday at Xavier University gym in Cagayan de Oro.

The Beermen—who surprisingly got off to a 0-4 start just weeks after bagging the Philippine Cup championship—dealt the Bolts’ first loss in six games as new San Miguel import AZ Reid and June Mar Fajardo came out dominant.

Reid, who replaced Ronald Roberts Jr., dropped 29 points and hauled down 12 rebounds, while Fajardo also had a monstrous outing of 21 points and 22 boards to tow the Beermen to a 16-point blasting of the erstwhile unbeaten Bolts.

The Bolts sorely missed the services of the energetic Josh Davis, who fell hard on his back off a fake by Fajardo with the game tied at 30 with still 7:16 minutes left in the second quarter.

Meanwhile, former Best Import Denzel Bowles returns to Purefoods Star as the Hotshots look to halt a two-game skid versus Barangay Ginebra in at 5:15 p.m. today at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Globalport clashes with Blackwater in the first game at 3 p.m.

Bowles replaced the controversial Daniel Orton, whom the Hotshots sent packing after he got fined a whopping P250,000 for a post-game rant where he labeled KIA playing-coach and boxing icon Manny Pacquiao as a “joke.”

Orton, who only played for three games, also criticized game officials following the Hotshots’ upset loss to the Carnival last Wednesday where he had a measly six-point and three-rebound performance.

Although listed at 6-foot-10 1/2 in his previous stint, Bowles made the 6-9 limit as the PBA office measured him at 6-8 13/16 yesterday.

Bowles, who led Purefoods to the 2012 Commissioner’s Cup championship, is coming off a stint in the Chinese Basketball Association.

The Hotshots shoot for solo third with a fifth triumph with Bowles, who’s set for an explosive match up against Ginebra’s Michael Dunigan just a day after his arrival.

The scores:

SAN MIGUEL 102—Reid 29, Fajardo 21,  Ross 16, Santos 12, Lutz 9,  Kramer 8,  Cabagnot 5, Lassiter 2,  J. Reyes 0, Omolon 0, Tubid 0, Fortuna 0.

MERALCO 86—David 23, Wilson 9, Hodge 9, Hugnatan 9, Anthony 8, Dillinger 6, Cortez 5, Sena 5, Davis 4,  Ferriols 4, J. Reyes 2. Macapagal 2,  Ildefonso 0, Atkins 0, R. Buenafe 0,

Quarters:  20-25  45-40  73-60  102-86