MANILA – Meralco Bolts stretched its winning run to four as it halted the streaking Alaska Aces 89-74 in the 2018 PBA Commissioner’s Cup on Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Chris Newsome led Bolts (7-2) with 18 points. Jared Dillinger and Baser Amer had 17 points each while Arinze Onuaku had double-double 14 points and 23 rebounds. Meralco is now tied with Aces on second place.
With a slim 41-40 lead at the half, Bolts went on a huge run in the third quarter behind Dillinger, Onuaku and Hodge, and build its largest lead 73-55 on a Ranidel de Ocampo triple.
Bolts was clinging to this advantage midway in the fourth period when Aces went for a final push to come to as close as 71-84. Meralco raised the lead again 89-73 with hits from De Ocampo and Newsome.
“This is a big weekend for us,” said Bolts head coach Norman Black. “After beating Blackwater and Alaska, we have Rain or Shine coming up and the goal is to beat them and see what happens after that.”
Anthony Campbell led Aces with double-double 25 points and 14 rebounds. Vic Manuel added 22. Alaska still played without suspended Calvin Abueva and injured Jeron Teng and Carl Bryan Cruz.
In the second game, Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings leaned on the exploits of Justin Brownlee and LA Tenorio in the second half to score a 104-84 win over rival Magnolia Hotshots.
From a 44-all score at the half, Kings waxed hot in the third period behind 3-point conversions from Brownlee and Tenorio to build a 79-65 advantage heading into the fourth.
Hotshots rallied to within 11 points in the fourth quarter but Kings pulled away for good with baskets from Brownlee and Japeth Aguilar for its largest lead 102-78.
Brownlee finished the match with 35 points, Tenorio added 22 markers while Gregory Slaughter had double-double 12 points and 14 rebounds for Kings (3-5). Hotshots dropped to 4-5./PN
