Meralco thrashes Ginbera, boosts Top 4 bid

Sports

THE Meralco Bolts pulled off an impressive 112-91 win over the Barangay Ginebra Kings to boost their Top 4 bid in the 50th PBA Commissioner’s Cup on Friday night, May 1, at the Araneta Coliseum.

The Bolts raised their record to 6-3 (win-loss) and moved up to the fourth spot in the team standings. With their five-game winning streak coming to an end, the Kings fell to third place with a 7-3 slate behind the NLEX Road Warriors (8-2) and Rain or Shine Elasto Painters (8-2).

A Top 4 finish will be crucial as it carries a twice-to-beat bonus in the quarterfinal round.

The game was close early with Meralco ending the first quarter with a 31-27 lead.

Things changed quickly in the second quarter where the Bolts pulled away by staging a 29-13 run in the second period that widened the gap to 60-40.

Meralco, which was coming off back-to-back losses, didn’t relent since then, even stretching the advantage to 90-65 with only a quarter left to play.

Import Marvin Jones and CJ Cansino scored 18 points each to lead Meralco, which also got 12 points, three assists and three steals from Chris Newsome.

Cliff Hodge and Bong Quinto added 11 markers each while Jason Brickman and Chris Banchero tallied 10 points apiece in the balanced Meralco attack.

RJ Abarrientos and Justin Brownlee each scored 24 points but they were the only Ginebra players to score in twin digits.

THE SCORES:

MERALCO (112)- Jones 18, Cansino 18, Newsome 12, Hodge 11, Quinto 11, Brickman 10, Banchero 10, Black 8, Bates 4, Magbuhos 3, Maliksi 3, Mocon 2, Rios 2, Pascual 0, Caram 0, Comia 0.

GINEBRA (91) - Abarrientos 24, Brownlee 23, Thompson 8, Holt 8, Gray 8, Go 6, Abis 6, Rosario 4, Cariño 2, Estil 2, Cu 0, Pinto 0, Torres 0.QUARTERSCORES: 31-27, 60-40, 90-65, 112-91.(CCM)