Cliff Hodge (in white) and the Bolts chase down each likelihood they obtained to carry off Mikey Williams and the Tropang Giga. —PHOTOS BY AUGUST DELA CRUZ
Meralco handed TNT a uncommon loss that evened their PBA Governors’ Cup semifinal sequence at 1-1 in Antipolo Metropolis on Sunday.
However Bolts coach Norman Black, following a 124-117 additional time win gutted out from sheer will at Ynares Middle, nonetheless considers the Tropang Giga the favorites regardless of seeing a efficiency that would positively give the Bolts extra perception that they may take down the league’s high workforce.
“We’re taking part in the No. 1 seed workforce, so each recreation is gonna be powerful for us,” Black mentioned. “It’s simply their second loss this complete convention and nothing’s gonna be simple. When you take a look at their lineup, they’re loaded so each recreation’s gonna be aggressive.”
It took the recent taking pictures from Aaron Black, a decided, banged-up Cliff Hodge, and import KJ McDaniels answering Black’s problem, amongst others, for Meralco to show the sequence right into a best-of-three.
That, regardless of TNT rallying from a double-digit deficit within the second half and falling only one free throw wanting taking a commanding 2-0 lead.
The winner of this sequence will go on to advance in opposition to the survivor of the San Miguel Beer-Barangay Ginebra sequence, Sport 2 of which was being performed at press time.
Mikey silenced
The Beermen will play the remainder of the convention with out June Mar Fajardo, their cornerstone who has been dominated out with an MCL harm.
Ginebra received Sport 1 additionally final Friday as Christian Standhardinger had a heyday beneath with the 6-foot-11 Fajardo absent.
“Even when we had a slight lead of eight to 10 factors, they’ll simply erase that as a result of they’re most likely the very best three-point taking pictures workforce within the league,” mentioned Black.
Mikey Williams and RR Pogoy had stretches the place they had been in a position to knock down pictures from past the arc, though the unforgiving Meralco protection held Williams scoreless within the payoff body.
Additionally dooming TNT in extension was its sudden incapacity to hit the triple, a lot to the aid of the Meralco coach.
NORMAN BLACK
“Luckily for us, their final three or 4 three-point pictures didn’t go in. And that actually helped us win the sport,” mentioned Black.
Vital misses
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, the TNT import who accounted for a lot of the harm inflicted on Meralco in Sport 1, additionally missed essential charities within the fourth, together with one in all three that led to a 112-all tie after regulation.
He obtained a visit to the road after drawing a foul with six seconds left in opposition to a difficult Chris Newsome and Hodge, who would shake off the whiplash to ship in additional time.
Hodge produced Meralco’s first 4 factors within the additional interval, made an effort to defend Hollis-Jefferson and obtained some defensive rebounds that prompted Black to unintentionally give him a nickname.
“He’s a bionic man,” mentioned Black in jest, including that the workforce can have Hodge’s head checked after the onerous nosed ahead took a foul fall in that play that confirmed the again of his head banging onerous on the ground.
Hodge’s dogged dedication in that play highlighted how onerous the Bolts fought to sq. this sequence
The youthful Black completed the job by scoring six on his approach to tying his career-high with 28 factors, as he and Hodge backed up McDaniels’ all-around effort of 39 factors, 20 rebounds, 4 assists, three steals and three blocks after his Sport 1 struggles.
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