Batang Pier, Bolts prevail

JARRID Famous scored 30 points and pulled down 37 rebounds Sunday to lead Globalport to a 102-94 victory over KIA Motors that moved the Batang Pier closer to a twice-to-beat privilege in the first round of the PBA Governors’ Cup playoffs.

Terrence Romeo backed him up with 27 points and had crucial baskets in the stretch as the Batang Pier survived an error-prone performance to win for a second straight game and rise to 6-4 on a night Meralco put Barangay Ginebra’s impressive playoff streak in peril at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The Bolts got the goods from Andre Emmet in the stretch in the nightcap and scored a 102-99 thriller over the Gin Kings, whose 24-conference streak of advancing past the eliminations is now in grave danger.

Emmet scored 12 points in the fourth and 25 of his 33 in the second half and took charge in Meralco’s fifth win in nine outings that gave the Bolts at least a tie for a quarterfinal berth.

“That was a thrilling, gutsy win,” Meralco coach Norman Black told reporters after letting out a huge sigh of relief. “It was a great game between two teams needing a win because we knew that the loser would have to fight for his life (the rest of the elimination round).”

Ginebra dropped to 3-6 after bungling a 10-point first-half lead and several golden chances in the stretch. Now the Kings would need no less than a sweep of their remaining two games to have a mathematical chance of advancing.

Famous’ 37 rebounds was the highest by anyone in 30 years since Michael Hackett, the former Ginebra San Miguel import who pulled down 45 in the 1985 Third Conference.

GLOBALPORT 102—Famous 30, Romeo 27, Pringle 10, Buenafe 9, Kramer 9, Krayem 7, Semerad 5, Mamaril 3, Miranda 2, Hayes 0, Isip 0, Jensen 0

KIA 94—N’Diaye 29, Dehesa 20, Webb 15, Chang 11, Bagtasing 8, Revilla 6, Buensuceso 3, Deutchman 1, Nuyles 1, Thiele 0, Ighalo 0, Alvarez 0, Avenido 0

Quarters: 27-29, 50-47, 76-71, 102-94

Second Game

MERALCO 102—Emmett 34, Dillinger 12, Ando 12, Hugnatan 12, David 10, Hodge 7, Cortez 6, Nabong 4, Ildefonso 3, Anthony 2, Caram 0.

GINEBRA 99—Johnson 25, Slaughter 21, Aguilar 18, Mercado 13, Kim 12, Tenorio 10, Urbiztondo 0, Pena 0, Marcelo 0, Brondial 0.

Quarters: 23-28, 50-48, 75-80, 102-99