BALAYAN, Batangas— The Meralco Bolts bounced back to tie the series at 1-1 after going up against the Barangay Ginebra Kings, 103-91, in game 2 of the PBA Philippine Cup best-of-seven semifinal showdown held at the MOA Arena in Pasay City, May 19.
The match was contested during the first quarter. But the Bolts started to widen the lead when the second quarter commenced.
The Bolts exhibited better poise after their 92-88 defeat on May 17. Despite blowing away a 13-point halftime lead, they remained together to dominate the game and turn the series around.
During game 2, the Bolts were prepared for the Kings’ late-game rally, standing their ground and firing up their own key run to avoid falling into a 0-2 deficit.
Chris Newsome, Allein Maliksi, Cliff Hodge, and Chris Banchero led the way for the Bolts. The Meralco shock-troopers provided significant help as they effectively countered the Kings’ Christian Standhardinger’s career-high 41-point game accompanied by 11 rebounds.
Maliksi got a record of 25 points with Newsome contributing 20 points. Hodge achieved a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Banchero also added 11 points and eight rebounds.
These players provided a push in their crucial comeback from 79-80 down on the way to the 12-point victory.
The Bolts took control In the early game and held a 55-42 lead during halftime. This was due to a strong attack marked by a high 52 percent shooting rate.
“That’s one those we talked about… keeping the poise whatever comes,” Bolts’ shooting guard Chris Newsome said. Ginebra’s coach, Luigi Trillo, reflected on their game performance in game 1.
In this game, they battled the Kings in a tight match in the first half but fell short in the next quarter.
“We’re more aligned today. But we have things to improve on. And we know Ginebra’s going to come back, and we have to be ready,” Trillo said.