Meralco capped its PBA 3×3 Third Conference campaign on a real high.
The Bolts denied TNT Triple Giga a back-to-back grand slam bid after ruling the last grand finals of Season 3 behind a 21-17 win late Monday night at the Ayala Malls Glorietta.
Joseph Sedurifa forged an unlikely alliance with JJ Manlangit as the two accounted for 15 out of the Bolts’ total output to frustrate the Triple Giga from pulling off another historic feat.
Sedurifa finished with eight points and Manlangit seven as he made up for the cold-shooting stint of guard Jeff Manday, who was held to a solitary point on 1-of-7 tries from the floor.
After TNT forged the game’s final deadlock at 15-all, Sedurifa and Manlangit went to work and uncorked a finishing 6-2 run to take the fight out of the Triple Giga and pocket the grand prize of P750, 000.
Alfred Batino, the longest tenured player in the Meralco lineup, contributed five points in Meralco’s first ever grand finals title in the history of the three-a-side tournament.
“Sobrang tagal na namin sa PBA 3×3, first time namin na-experience ito,” said Batino, the veteran big man of coach Patrick Fran. Meralco beat TNT in two of three leg championship encounters this season, but this one was truly the most gratifying.
Despite emerging as the top seeded team at the end of the six-leg phase, the Bolts remained underdogs especially against a TNT side that has won the last six conference grand finals starting in the Third Conference of Season 1 and a sweep of the entire Season 2 last year.
Meralco even appeared ready to go in the semifinals when it trailed Blackwater, 17-20, only for Sedurifa to will the Bolts back and win it, 21-20, behind four straight baskets to end the game.
“Si Lord ang may gawa nito, hindi kami,” said Sedurifa. “Destiny siguro ito sa amin para manalo.”
TNT bagged P250,000 for finishing runner up for the very first time. Many-time scoring champ Almond Vosotros had a team-high five points for TNT, whose lowest finish ever in the grand finals was third place in the opening conference of Season 1.
Cavitex turned back Blackwater in the battle for third, 22-19, to win P100,000.
