Meralco import Allen Durham. PBA IMAGES
Allen Durham could have sealed the victory for Meralco had he drained both of his charities with 6.8 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
Unfortunately, all he could get is a split from the line, giving Ginebra a glimmer of hope which LA Tenorio seized, tying the game at 102 to send it into overtime.
“That was a little frustrating to miss that,” remarked Durham, “but we had to forget it real fast.”
READ: Durham takes charge in OT as Meralco nips Ginebra for 1-0 lead
And Durham knew how exactly to erase that from memory right away.
The Bolts import played like a man on a mission, by firing seven unanswered points to put the Bolts in the driver seat, 109-102, to open the overtime period and take the life out of the Gin Kings.
That allowed Meralco to steal Game 1 in the 2016 PBA Governors’ Cup Finals, 114-109. on Friday.
“We just wanted to stay focused, push through until we got the win,” said Durham, who finished with 46 points, 13 rebounds,
seven assists, two blocks and a steal. “I just give credit to the guys staying focused, never getting too high, never getting too low. We know our job is still not done. We’ve got a long way to go.”
READ: PNP Chief Bato wants Ginebra to sweep Meralco
Durham said that playing against a Ginebra-favoring crowd gave him all the motivation he needed to deliver for his team.
“It’s fun. I love it. This type of crowd gets the juices flowing. As a competitor, as a player, this is what you dream playing in front of.”
But Durham didn’t fail to notice his side’s contingency, who tried their best to still be heard despite obviously being outnumbered inside the Big Dome.
“Our fans are just as great as the Ginebra fans. They were cheering, they were loud, stuff like that, it’s a lot of fun,” he said.
And Durham admits it gave him a boost as he tirelessly held the fort for Meralco in all of his 50 minutes of action.
“Right now, I’m just trying to do whatever it takes to win. If I got to be out there 40-50 minutes, that’s what I’m going to do if we come out with a win,” he said.