[ad_1]
Chris Newsome from Meralco attempts to pass through Mo Tautuaa from San Miguel Beer. —PHOTO COURTESY OF PBA IMAGES
It wasn’t the best basketball that Norman Black expected Meralco to flaunt for a team that has won the PBA Philippine Cup in the past five seasons.
But it was good enough to give the Bolts another playdate, so they have no complaints.
Meralco achieved a 78-71 victory Friday night at the Fundación Universitaria de Angeles powered by Smart 5G, forcing defending champion San Miguel Beer to fish his card twice to win and schedule a duel you or me for a semifinal seat on Sunday.
“Our guys played with a lot of heart tonight, they really played hard. We threw the ball badly, but at the same time our defense held, “Black said on the postgame press.
Veteran Reynel Hugnatan and rookie Aaron Black delivered in the final three minutes of the contest, arresting Meralco’s dry spell and then restoring a cushion enough to slow down the Beermen’s attempts at a fight.
Hugnatan, the oldest player on the Bolts’ roster, finished with 16 points and seven rebounds. Aaron, Black’s rookie son, had 14.
“We really needed this win to put a little pressure on San Miguel and send us to [a knockout match], ”Said Black, who acknowledged the gallant attitude the Beermen put forth despite losing another key gear through injury. Already without six-time MVP June Mar Fajardo and top scorer Terrence Romeo, the Beermen equipped without ace Alex Cabagnot.
“One thing to respect with San Miguel is that they have been so good for so long. They have a lot of experience. They are missing a few key players at the moment, but they still have key players on the court. You really can’t let your guard down when you play against them, even if they have some injuries, ”Black said.
The brewers got the goods from Mo Tautuaa, who added 14 points. Marcio Lassiter added 12 points, while Chris Ross had 10 points, six rebounds and seven assists.
Meralco’s lead was reduced to four in the fourth when Paul Zamar buried a float to keep San Miguel within reach, but Hugnatan drained a basket and Aaron hit a 3-pointer as the Bolts drifted away, 76-67, less than two minutes to go. the end.
“[The Beermen] gave us a scare there in the fourth quarter [and] we have to look at that and review it, ”Aaron said. “But we are happy to come out with a victory. It’s a confidence booster for us. “
The Bolts are now one win away from becoming the first team to finish off the San Miguel Filipino who started in 2015.
And they weren’t even shooting as well as Black expected.
Meralco shot just 34 percent from the ground (30 of 87), making defense a key factor in the life-and-death matchup.
“So far I’ve noticed that as we go through this series here at the PBA, the team’s shooting percentages are starting to drop a little bit,” Black said.
“Maybe for playing every other day, playing every day. So, you know, you’re going to have to really focus on your defense if you want to win, ”he added.
Later that night, Stanley Pringle hit two baskets in a row and Barangay Geneva made a late run for an 81-73 win over Rain or Shine that led the Kings to the semi-finals.
Read next
Subscribe to INQUIRER PLUS to get access to The Philippine Daily Inquirer and more than 70 other titles, share up to 5 gadgets, listen to the news, download from 4am and share articles on social media. Call 896 6000.
For comments, complaints or inquiries, please contact us.
[ad_2]
