October 02, 2017

Meralco eyes 2-0 lead over Star in their semi-final showdown

Playoff top seed Meralco enjoys the momentum of a blazing finish in their last game as the Bolts seek a commanding 2-0 lead versus the Star Hotshots in the continuation of their PBA Governors Cup best-of-five semi-final showdown at the Sta. Rosa Multi-Purpose Complex in Sta. Rosa, Laguna Tuesday.

The Bolts banked on a sensational windup as they overcame a sluggish start and drubbed the Hotshots, 72-66, in the series opener Sunday at the Alonte Sports Arena in Binan, Laguna.

Meralco and Star clash in Game Two at 7 p.m. with the two teams expected to continue to engage in a tough defensive battle.

"It's always gonna be a defensive struggle with Star," said Meralco coach Norman Black.

"They really hit us hard in the beginning of our game (Sunday) and took us out of our offense," Black also said. "Luckily for us, our defense held up and kept us in the game and eventually, our shots fell in."

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Meanwhile, as he always professes, Star coach Chito Victolero says they have to play the whole 48-minute game if they're to bounce back in the next game.

The Hotshots got off to a 20-3 start and set the pace most of the way only to crumble at the finish in Game One.

"We need to do something on the mental aspect. We're beat by their late run," said Victolero.

Star ace forward Marc Pingris rued their crucial errors in the crunch.

"I was not spared. We have to learn from our mistakes and make up for it in the next game," said Pingris, accounting for four of their 26 turnovers.

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Needless to say, those errors were the results of Meralco's unforgiving defense.
Pingris doesn't expect the complexion of the battle to change, and says they should not waver on their stand.

"Unfortunately, we floundered, of all times, in the fourth quarter," said Pingris.

Allen Durham, the solid anchor of the Meralco game on both ends, may only be better tonight with the continued treatment on his ankle sprain.

Durham endured his injury Sunday and proved to be big the catalyst in their dramatic come-from-behind triumph with a huge double-double game with 23 points and the same number of rebounds in 40:27 minutes of action.

Meralco was still in a precarious spot when Durham flexed his muscles the hardest, and his intensity and energy obviously rubbed off on his teammates as the Bolts salvaged the game and gained the decisive head start in the race-to-three-games series.