KJ to the rescue

Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

ANTIPOLO CITY—TNT import KJ McDaniels made one defensive slip that nearly cost his team the game. He gambled on an overplay on Jesper Ayaay and the Alaska rookie took advantage with a potential game-winning drive.

The shot rimmed out. Earning a shot to undo that mistake, McDaniels made the Aces pay.

The sleek-scoring import scored eight of TNT’s 10 points in overtime to hold off Alaska, 99-93, on Friday night in the PBA Governors’ Cup at Ynares Center here, keeping the KaTropa unbeaten and allowing them to log some sort of a milestone.

TNT rose to 7-0, the first such start since the league expanded to 12 teams.

“KJ and Troy [Rosario] saved us,” coach Bong Ravena said. “This game will only make us better.”

McDaniels fired 37 points—including the layup that forced extra period—and grabbed 13 rebounds.

Rosario tossed in 23 points to help keep TNT unbeaten.

Earlier, Meralco zapped Blackwater, 106-97, heeding the call of their coach to bounce back from a previous loss to TNT and getting its campaign back on track with a 4-2 card.

“We just wanted to win the games we think we can go out and win,” Black said. “It didn’t really matter whether it was pretty or not.”

“The focus to bounce back from our last loss—which we had a chance of winning—was there. The focus to go out there and get it done was there,” he added.

Allen Durham led Meralco anew, scoring 27 points and plucking down 13 boards. Raymond Almazan added a double-double of his own with 19 and 10.

KG Canaleta tossed in 13 more in his finest scoring game for the Bolts in a long while to help turn back the Elite’s spirited tries at a comeback.

Blackwater slipped to 2-4.

Black, meanwhile, could only hope that the latest triumph of the Bolts jolts them into their fearsome form as they brace for a tough schedule ahead, one that includes perennial conference rival Barangay Ginebra and season toughie San Miguel Beer.