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[av_heading heading=’Durham snatches lead in OT to claim Game 1 for Meralco ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
By ADRIAN STEWART CO
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MANILA – Allen Durham came up with timely hits in the overtime as the Meralco Bolts drew first blood in the 2016 Oppo PBA Governor’s Cup best-of-seven finals with a 114-109 Game 1 win over the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings on Friday at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
Durham quickly made his presence felt in the extension period as he scored seven straight points for a 109-102 lead. Clifford Hodge and Chris Newsome then put on the finishing touches for the Bolts.
Durham finished with near triple-double 46 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists for the Bolts, which recovered from a deficit as high as 16 points to surge ahead in the race-to-four series, 1-0.
Newsome chipped in 18 markers, while Bacolod-native Reynel Hugnatan and Jimmy Alapag contributed 15 and 13 points, respectively, for the Bolts, which survived a sub-par four-point output from Hodge.
The Bolts went on a strong start in the match behind the inside hits of Durham for a 21-13 lead. But the Kings quickly answered back behind LA Tenorio to come to within 31-28.
The Bolts were still hanging on to the lead early in the second quarter behind baskets from Alapag and Ryan Buenafe until the Kings went on a surge behind Tenorio and Justin Brownlee to take a 53-42 lead at halftime.
The Kings continued its hot shooting in the third quarter to build its largest lead of the match at 58-42 on a Tenorio basket, but the Bolts responded with a rally behind Newsome and Ilonggo Anjo Caram to come to within 80-75 on a triple by Hugnatan.
The Bolts even took the lead early in the fourth quarter at 81-80 on a triple by Alapag, but the Kings pulled away anew courtesy of Tenorio for a 96-85 lead but the Bolts went back again to tie the count at 98-all on a one-hander by Hugnatan.
After the Kings took a 100-98 lead on a reverse layup by Tenorio, Alapag drained a triple followed a free throw by Durham for a 102-100 Bolts lead. Tenorio then had another basket to send the game to overtime.
Tenorio finished with a career-best 36 points, while Brownlee struggled with 17 markers for the Kings, which returned to the PBA finals for the first time since the 2013 PBA Commissioner’s Cup./PN
SCORES
MERALCO 114 – Durham 46, Newsome 18, Hugnatan 15, Alapag 13, Faundo 8, Amer 5, Caram 4, Hodge 4, Buenafe 2, Uyloan 0, Nabong 0, Al-Hussaini 0
GINEBRA 109 – Tenorio 36, Brownlee 17, Caguioa 14, Devance 13, Thompson 8, Mercado 8, Aguilar 6, Cruz 5, Marcelo 2, Mariano 0
QUARTERS – 31-28, 42-53, 75-80, 102-102, 114-109
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