‘Costly’ Meralco win levels series at 1-1

JARED Dillinger of Meralco (right) towers over Troy Rosario of TNT during last night’s Game 2 of their semifinal series at Smart Araneta Coliseum. AUGUST DELA CRUZ

WITH the game already in the bag, Jared Dillinger intercepted a pass and completed the steal with an unmolested layup, 67 se-
conds to go.

That was before he came up lame, holding his right hamstring for what was the only dark spot in a 106-91 Game 2 Meralco win over fancied TNT KaTropa that forged a 1-1 tie in their PBA Governors’ Cup Final Four series at Smart Araneta Coliseum last night.
And that makes the Bolts more of the underdogs than they already are going into the critical third game tomorrow, with the status of Dillinger, a vital cog all season long, uncertain with a feared right hamstring pull.

“I’m not sure what happened to JD (Dillinger),” Meralco coach Norman Black said. “He will be a big loss in the series. We have to find out what (the extent of) the injury (is). But it doesn’t look good, judging from his initial reaction.”

Black put Dillinger back in the game for Reynel Hugnatan with only the final score left to be determined, saying he needed a ballhandler on the floor to milk the clock away and seal the win.

It could end up costing the Bolts in the long haul as TNT already has a decided manpower advantage over Meralco.

Allen Durham scored 31 points and Chris Newsome added 17 for the Bolts. Jason Castro paced the Texters with 24 but surprisingly didn’t play in the fourth quarter.

“I don’t know what happened to Jason,” Black said. “But he still got away with a lot (of points despite playing only 28 minutes).”

Meanwhile, Barangay Ginebra coach Tim Cone said his Gin Kings must regain their focus if they want to bounce back from their Game 2 loss to San Miguel Beer in their own playoffs.

The Beermen and the Gin Kings break their 1-1 tie at 7 p.m. also at the Big Dome, with momentum belonging to the Beermen after a 95-92 win on Wednesday.

“We didn’t come out with great focus,” Cone added. “It’s something we have to learn.”
The scores:
MERALCO 106—Durham 31, Newsome 17, Alapag 16, Hodge 15, Hugnatan 12, Dillinger 8, Uyloan 3, Amer 2, Nabong 2, Faundo 0.
TNT KATROPA 91—Castro 24, Ammons 15, De Ocampo 10, Rosario 9, Tautuaa 9, Williams 9, Ababou 7, Carey 2, Fonacier 2, Madanly 2, Rosales 2, Rosser 0.
Quarters: 29-15, 54-40, 80-60, 106-91