Tony Bishop Jr. (right) and the Bolts knock down Trevis Jackson and the Painters in a tightly-fought Governors’ Cup game. —PBA IMAGES
MANILA, Philippines–Meralco took the very best Rain or Shine could offer on Sunday night and gutted out a 93-88 victory at Smart Araneta Coliseum which put the club back on the right track after a stunning first loss in the PBA Governors’ Cup a few nights back.
The Bolts rode the hot hands of import Tony Bishop Jr. and veteran marksman Allein Maliksi in the payoff period before quelling several of the stubborn Elasto Painters’ fightbacks to rebound from a horrendous 109-98 loss at the hands of winless NorthPort last Thursday.
It was the fifth win in six games for the Bolts, who stayed in solo second behind unbeaten Magnolia heading into the critical stages of the elimination round.
“Just like our last game against NorthPort, Rain or Shine was switching all the pick-and-rolls, particularly with our import, and we were having a hard time getting to a rhythm offensively,” said Meralco coach Norman Black.
Beermen strike
Orlando Johnson missed a triple-double by just two feeds and CJ Perez tossed in 23 points that went with five steals as the duo spearheaded San Miguel Beer past Barangay Ginebra for a 110-102 win that put the Beermen above .500.
Johnson finished with 31 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists and a total of four Beermen finished in twin digits as San Miguel rose to 4-3 while dealing the defending champion Gin Kings their fourth loss in seven games.
Justin Brownlee led Ginebra with 40 points, but injuries to key players like Stanley Pringle obviously put the Kings at a disadvantage as far as firepower is concerned.
Efficient import
“We talked about it at halftime—that we’re just gonna focus on our defense. We’re not gonna worry about the offense anymore, we’ll find ways to score, but we’re gonna defend the other side. That was really the focus in the second half. I think that’s the reason why we got the win,” he went on.
Bishop scored 11 of his team-best 26 points, while Maliksi 12 of his 19 in that tightly-contested fourth period, preserving the heroics of Raymond Almazan who turned in his finest scoring performance this conference.
“He gave us a big lift today, offensively,” Black said of his big man, Almazan, who was very offensive minded in the third period and finished with 17 points that went with seven rebounds, a steal and a block. “I thought today he really took his time, and was very deliberate around the basket. He hit a couple of jump shots for us, he got to the foul line for us, and that’s what we need from Raymond.”
Big-time play
FILE–Meralco center Raymond Almazan. INQUIRER PHOTO/Tristan Tamayo
“The one thing I always note with Raymond since he joined Meralco, we’ve been doing very, very well with our win-loss record. So he’s a big part of our team, he gives us that big man in the middle that all teams need, and tonight he played very, very well. He was exceptional, actually,” he added.
The 6-foot-7 Almazan, who entered the PBA through Rain or Shine, scored six points in a 10-0 blitz that had the Bolts erasing a 62-53 lead by the Painters in the third period.
Maliksi threw up bricks in the first half only to come to life when it truly mattered for the Bolts. A Maliksi three-pointer opened up an 89-80 lead heading into the final three minutes, a cushion that proved enough for the Bolts in the end.
Import Henry Walker lead the way for Rain or Shine, which slid to 3-5, with 24 points and 10 rebounds, while Rey Nambatac pumped in 12 in his first game back from a sprained knee.
Not only did the win bolster Meralco’s chances at tabbing a twice-to-beat bonus in the playoffs, it also gifted Black his 701st victory coaching in Asia’s pioneering pro league—the second most behind Barangay Ginebra mentor Tim Cone’s 970. INQ