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Joel Wright hit the game-winning basket as Star beat Meralco, 104-103, to stave off elimination in the 2016 PBA Governors’ Cup Sunday night at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Wright drove baseline and hit a floater over Bolts import Allen Durham with 0.7 tenths of a second left for his first win in five outings as the Hotshots replacement for Marqus Blakely.
He finished with a double-double with 27 points and 14 rebounds as Star resuscitated its flat-lining bid to make the quarterfinals.
“I don’t know how much chances we have but whatever chances we have, we’ll take it,” said Star head coach Jason Webb. “The most important thing right now is the guys continue to believe in each other.”
“All glory to the faith the guys continue to have on themselves. Maybe there is a chance. We don’t care how small, as long as there is. I told the guys we’ve been given so many chances and we continued to fail. I think right now we have 0.1 chance, but that’s better than nothing,” Webb added.
The Hotshots blew an 87-73 lead in the fourth quarter and were on their way out after the Bolts took a 103-102 edge on a put back by Reynel Hugnatan with 8.2 seconds left.
“In all honesty, we thought we were out Friday. History is against us because in this format, five wins make it. There are scenarios where it could’ve happened but I don’t think it happened yet,” said Webb, whose team snapped a five-game losing skid for a 2-7 mark.
Durham also had 27 points and 14 rebounds for the Bolts, who slipped to 5-5 to bow out of top four contention.