MANILA – Meralco Bolts sent Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings crashing with a 90-73 rout in the 2022 PBA Philippine Cup last night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Chris Newsome tallied 19 points, seven rebounds and four assists, while Chris Banchero added 17 markers as the Bolts scored back-to-back wins to improve to 5-3 slate.
Clifford Hodge added 14 markers, eight rebounds and four blocks, as Kier John Quinto chipped in 10 markers for Meralco, which notched its second win sans head coach Norman Black.
The Bolts were dominant from the start with conversions from Allein Maliksi and Quinto for a 24-16 lead. It grew further in the second period at 51-33 on perimeter hits by Banchero.
Meralco continued its assault on its perennial PBA Finals tormentor in the second half with baskets from Newsome and Hodge. The lead reached its largest at 22 points.
Earl Scottie Thompson top-scored with 14 points. Nard John Pinto added 12 markers, while Japeth Aguilar and Christian Standhardinger had 11 and 10 markers, respectively, as the Kings dropped to 6-3.
In the first game, Rain or Shine Elasto Painters (3-6) overcame a slow start to score a 107-90 rout of Blackwater Bossing (5-3) for its second straight triumph.
Down by as much as nine points in the first half, the Painters turned things around in the third canto on outside hits by Beau Belga, Norbert Torres and Jewel Ponferrada for a 73-57 upperhand.
Blackwater went on a huge run in the fourth to cut the deficit to 74-80 but the Rain or Shine got timely conversions from Gian Mamuyac, Gabe Norwood and Rey Nambatac for its largest lead of 105-86.
Nambatac tallied conference-high 26 points, Mamuyac added career-high 20 markers, while Belga and Norwood contributed 12 and 10 points, respectively, for the Painters.
BOX SCORE:
MERALCO 90 — Newsome 19, Banchero 17, Hodge 14, Quinto 10, Black 9, Maliksi 8, Almazan 6, Pascual 4, Johnson 3, Baclao 0, Hugnatan 0, Caram 0, Jose 0, Belo 0, Pasaol 0.
GINEBRA 73 — Thompson 14, Pinto 12, J. Aguilar 11, Standhardinger 10, Tenorio 7, Pringle 6, Chan 5, Caperal 4, David 2, Mariano 2.
Quarterscores: 24-16, 51-33, 72-50, 90-73./PN