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[av_heading heading=’ Elite stuns Bolts, forces do-or-die q’finals ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=’30’ subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY ADRIAN STEWART CO
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MANILA – Allein Maliksi drained the go-ahead jumper as Blackwater Elite escaped Meralco Bolts 92-91 in the PBA Governors’ Cup quarterfinals last night at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
Elite trailed 90-91 after a putback by Bolts import Allen Durham until Maliksi drained a perimeter jumper to surge Elite ahead. Blackwater only had to tighten its defense to get away with the win.
Maliksi finished with 15 points for Elite, which forced a do-or-die match with Bolts, which had a twice-to-beat advantage, on Thursday night.
Henry Walker led the way with 30 points, 18 rebounds and six assists, while Michael DiGregorio contributed 20 points, including four triples, for Blackwater, now on its second playoffs appearance.
Elite started strong on triples from Maliksi, Walker and Digregorio for a 29-19 edge. Bolts countered with a run to tie the count at 36-all but a triple by Maliksi and an inside hit by John Paul Erram gave Elite a 42-40 halftime lead.
Elite hanged on to the lead early in the third with conversions from Maliksi and Dave Marcelo. Bolts rallied back to take a 62-61 lead on a Baser Amer basket but DiGregorio answered with a layup for a 63-62 Elite edge.
Triples by Walker started the fourth quarter and raised Elite’s lead 78-73. Bolts snatched the lead 84-81 on a triple by Amer and a layup by Chris Newsome, but Elite got hits from Walker and DiGregorio to tie the score 86-all.
An Amer trey pushed Bolts ahead anew 89-86 but two free throws by Shej Roi Sumang and a basket by Maliksi gave Elite the lead 90-89. Durham gave Bolts a 91-90 lead on an inside hit but Maliksi countered with the game-winner.
Newsome top-scored with 19 points while Durham and Clifford Hodge had 18 points apiece for Bolts, which was decimated in the opening half when Amer was injured and thus his limited action in the rest of the game./PN
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