See you in Antipolo.
Meralco refused to hoist the white flag and turned back Barangay Ginebra, 108-104, in Game 2 to force a rubber match in the best-of-three Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Commissioner’s Cup quarterfinals Friday night at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
Chris Newsome and Akil Mitchell knocked down crucial baskets in the thrilling fourth quarter as the Bolts built enough cushion to keep the Gin Kings at bay to live to fight another day.
Meralco dodged the bullet when Ginebra guard RJ Abarrientos missed a potential game-tying four-pointer in the last three seconds to deny the Gin Kings of a second straight quarters series sweep over the Luigi Trillo-mentored squad.
Game 3 is on Sunday at the Ynares Center in Antipolo where the survivor will face top-seeded NorthPort in the best-of-seven semifinals.
“Whatever way we got it (win). Whatever it takes to take this game we did that,” said Trillo, whose technical foul early in the third quarter fueled the Bolts to make a decisive run for the separation.
“We haven’t done anything now. Now we have to focus on one more game to get it done,” Trillo added.
Meralco recovered from a 92-100 loss in the series opener last Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum and snapped a five-game head-to-head loss since getting swept in the season-opening Governors’ Cup quarters in three games.
Newsome finished with 24 points on 10-of-17 field goal shooting including crucial points in the payoff period to answer the Kings’ late rally. Cliff Hodge added 17 points, Jansen Rios came off the bench and added 15 points while Bong Quinto had 14 points for the Bolts.
Mitchell was hounded by foul trouble but still managed to contribute a triple-double of 13 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists for Meralco, which arrested a three-game slide since the elims. Chris Banchero also had 13 points.
Ginebra threatened to extend the game into extra minutes after Jamie Malonzo scored six straight points capped by a pair of foul shots with 34.9 seconds remaining to close in, 108-104.
The Kings forced Meralco to commit a 24-second shot clock violation for one last play but Abarrientos was off the mark in his long bomb.
The Bolts blasted a scorching third quarter run to erect a 77-65 advantage after a Cliff Hodge layup with 5:18 left. A 16-8 rally by the Kings to end the period cut down their deficit, 85-81, heading into the final canto.
Meralco was efficient from the field in the first half, shooting 55 percent compared to Ginebra’s 39 percent.
The Bolts raced to an early 22-12 advantage, pouncing on the Kings’ sluggish start.
Ginebra found its groove and ignited a late run that bridged into the second period to overtake the Meralco, 38-31. The Bolts fought back and regained the lead behind Quinto and Rios for a 58-53 advantage entering the intermission.
Quinto scored all of his 11 points in the first half in the second canto after going scoreless in the opening period.
Justin Brownlee scored 36 points with six boards and four assists to lead the Kings.
Scottie Thompson had 21 points while Abarrientos and Japeth Aguilar had 12 and 10 points, respectively, for Ginebra.
The scores:
MERALCO (108) — Newsome 24, Hodge 17, Rios 15, Quinto 14, Mitchell 13, Banchero 13, Black 8, Almazan 2, Cansino 2, Bates 0, Pascual 0, Caram 0.
GINEBRA (104) — Brownlee 36, Thompson 21, Abarrientos 12, J.Aguilar 10, Rosario 9, Malonzo 9, Ahanmisi 2.
Quarters: 26-25, 58-53, 85-81, 108-104.