MERALCO bucked a slow start and turned back Kia, 90-80, for its second straight win in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Commissioner’s Cup on Friday at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City.
The Bolts drew an all-around game from import Josh Davis and needed the spark from Gary David and Jai Reyes off the bench to erase the Carnival’s double-digit lead and zoomed to a 2-0 start in the tournament.
Davis had 19 points, 19 rebounds and seven steals, while David tallied a team-high 25 points spiked by four three-pointers.
But it was Reyes’s surprise contribution that gave Meralco a big lift as the former Ateneo guard scored a career-high 16 points and teamed up with Davis in the telling run in the fourth quarter.
“We did a good job at halftime to instill more energy in our defense. I am very happy for [Cliff] Hodge whose energy put us on top,” Bolts Head Coach Norman Black said.
“Jai played a big role for orchestrating the offense. I thought he did a good job of stepping up in the absence of Mike Cortez,” Black added.
Kia import Peter John Ramos posted huge numbers anew with 34 points and 21 rebounds, but he had seven of the team’s 19 turnovers. Virgil Buensuceso added 11 for Carnival, who dropped to 0-2.
The wards of Coach Chito Victolero actually had a sizzling start, erecting a 25-14 lead before settling for a 38-36 halftime lead.
But the Bolts made the push in the third canto, unloading a 26-10 assault to take a 62-48 advantage. The Carnival answered an 8-0 run to stay in the game, 56-62, entering the fourth.
Kia was still in the game at 74-80 when Meralco unleashed a crucial 8-2 exchange capped by David’s three-pointer to put the game out of reach, 88-76, under a minute left in the game.
Image credits: PBA image