By JONAS TERRADO
Games Saturday
(Smart Araneta Coliseum)
4 p.m. — Ginebra vs TNT
6:30 p.m. — Alaska vs NLEX
Meralco got back at San Miguel Beer in the most emphatic fashion with a 100-85 victory Friday to become the first team to reach the semifinals of the PBA Governors’ Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
With their 26-point collapse against the Beermen in the eliminations on the back of their minds, the Bolts made sure they would put the clamps on import Shabazz Muhammad even as they sustained their huge lead up until the end to make short work of their quarterfinal foe.
Import Tony Bishop, who struggled in the heartbreaking defeat to SMB, responded with 32 points while Chris Newsome and veteran Reynel Hugnatan were among a number of players who stepped up in the victory which sent Meralco to the semis for the fourth straight conference.
“The whole focus was after what happened to us in the elimination round, our whole focus was on trying to slow down Shabazz and not allowing him to get another 57 points on it.”
Muhammad was held to just 24 points after erupting for 57 in their first meeting as Meralco made sure its team defense would give the former NBA player a much-harder time.
“We were hoping to hold them down to 30. We thought that would be a good number. But I think we held them down to 24. So that was even better,” added Black.
The Bolts advanced to the best-of-five semis against the winner of the quarterfinal matchup between the Magnolia Pambansang Manok and Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters.
Meanwhile, Alaska aims to once again extend its swan song while Barangay Ginebra San Miguel hopes to hurdle another difficult task as they aim to complete the upset of their twice-to-beat opponents in the PBA Governors’ Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Aces fight for dear life against the NLEX Road Warriors in the 6:30 p.m. match while the Gin Kings take on the TNT Tropang Giga for a shot at getting back to the semis at 4 p.m.
Both teams force today’s do-or-die matches after Alaska rallied from an early deficit to claim a 93-79 win and Ginebra overcoming TNT’s second half rally for a 104-92 win.
Momentum may have likely shifted on Alaska and Ginebra as they come into the decider with a chance to send their higher seeded foes to an early summer vacation.
The winner of today’s matches will arrange their own best-of-five meeting in the last four.
The scores:
MERALCO 100 — Bishop 32, Newsome 22, Banchero 9, Hugnatan 9, Almazan 8, Maliksi 6, Quinto 4, Black 4, Hodge 4, Baclao 2, Jose 0.
SAN MIGUEL 85 — Muhammad 24, Romeo 17, Fajardo 12, Perez 12, Ross 6, Lassiter 5, Brondial 5, Manuel 4, Tautuaa 0, Cruz 0.
Quarters: 26-26, 48-40, 79-61, 100-85.
