Allen Durham was his old solid self and Chris Newsome was nearly as prolific as Meralco turned back titleholder Magnolia Pambansang Manok, 98-92, in Day Two of the 2019 PBA Governors Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Durham and Newsome churned out big numbers and themselves ignited the Bolts' rally from nine points down at the half en route to a triumphant start in the season-ending tourney.
In the end, defense proved to be a big key as the Bolts held the Hotshots scoreless in the last 4:40 of play of this Petron Blaze Saturday Special.
"It's a good start to the conference for us; a very, very satisfying win because we were up against the defending champions," said Meralco coach Norman Black.
"We knew they are a very good defensive team and we have to play good defense to beat them. Our defense clicked in the fourth quarter," Black added.
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A goldmine for Meralco in this tourney, Durham marked another PBA comeback with a near triple-double job with 21 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists that went with one steal and one block in 42 minutes of action.
Then Newsome also provided a big boost with 22 markers, 10 boards and three dole-outs as the Bolts humbled the Kings at the start of their title defense in the tourney they won over the Alaska Milk Aces last season.
Newsome, however, stressed its their defensive effort that carried them past the Hotshots.
"We are a defensive team and we stuck to our identity. We played more aggressively in the second half," said Newsome as they limited the Hotshots to 35 points in the second half after letting them pile up 57 in the first two quarters.
The Bolts trailed by as many as 16 before mounting a rally to salvage a winning start in the tourney where they've been a consistent contender in the last three years with Durham as import.
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"We have a good chemistry with our import. It's a big plus for us," said Newsome.
In just his second conference as a Bolt, Raymond Almazan mixed up well with Meralco, contributing 19 points and 13 boards.
Romeo Travis and Mark Barroca led the losing team with 22 and 18 points, respectively. (SB)
