By REYNALD MAGALLON
Eastern had to battle through Manila traffic a few hours before the marquee duel but still came out with weapons ready against Governors’ Cup champion TNT.
The Hong Kong based-team rode on a huge second half assault and handed the Tropang Giga a rude PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup welcome with a 105-84 victory at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium on Friday, Dec. 6.
Eastern unloaded a 17-3 flurry in the third frame and took control from there to turn what seemed to be a close affair into a blowout and get back on the winning track after absorbing its first taste of defeat last time out.
Cameron Clark led the attack with 36 points and 14 rebounds but he was sitting on the bench when Eastern led by as many as 24 points in the final frame after getting valuable contributions from other players like Ramon Cao, Glen Yang and Hayden Blankley.
Blankley added 24 points and 10 rebounds while Yang announced his return from a one game absence with 19 points, eight assists and six rebounds. Cao chipped in 17 all while putting a body to TNT import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson.
Hollis-Jefferson had 33 points and seven rebounds to his name although he didn’t have any support from the locals with Kim Aurin the only double-digit scorer with 12.
It also didn’t help that the team is missing the services of last conference’s Finals MVP Jayson Castro.
Meanwhile, Jansen Rios stepped up big and drilled a crucial triple as Meralco survived a huge scare from Terrafirma, 96-91, to stay perfect through three games.
Facing a world of pressure after the Dyip erased a once comfortable 13-point lead in the fourth quarter, Rios drained a right corner trey off a nice feed from import DJ Kennedy that proved to be enough to restore order for the Bolts.
Terrafirma still had the chance to complete its comeback but Meralco tightened up their defensive screws and forced consecutive stops in the Dyip’s last three possessions to preserve the win.
Kennedy, despite getting saddled by foul trouble, managed to come alive in the second half and still lead Meralco with 32 points, six rebounds and four assists. Chris Newsome did a little bit of everything with 15 points, nine rebounds and eight assists.
Raymond Almazan had a double-double of 15 points and 12 rebounds while Rios finished with 11.
Thought to have extinguished the fight from the Dyip, the Bolts looked to be on their way to victory after erecting a 89-75 lead with five minutes left in the contest.
Terrafirma, however, refused to go down without a fight and unloaded a 13-2 uprising to tie the game at 91-all following two free throws from Vic Manuel with 1:08 remaining.
The Scores :
FIRST GAME
MERALCO 96 – Kennedy 32, Newsome 15, Almazan 15, Rios 11, Caram 7, pascual 6, Quinto 4Hodge 3, Pasaol 2, Black 1, Jose 0, Torres 0.
TERRAFIRMA 91 – Edwards 21, Paraiso 20, Manuel 13, Sangalang 10, Melecio 9, Pringle 6, Olivario 5, Catapusan 2, Nonoy 2, Ramos 2, Ferrer 1, Hernandez 0, Zaldivar 0
QUARTERS : 21-20, 39-40, 69-61, 96-91
SECOND GAME
EASTERN 105 – Clark 36, Blankely 24, Yang 19, Cao 17, Cheung 3, Lam 3, Xu 2, Zhu 1, Guinchard 0, Sulaiman 0, Chan 0.
TNT 84 – Hollis-Jefferson 33, Aurin 12, Pogoy 9, Oftana 7, Exciminiano 4, Ebona 4, Erram 4, Galinato 3, Razon 2, Nambatac 2, Heruela 0, Varilla 0, Payawal 0.
QUARTERS : 21-22, 47-47, 73-63, 105-84
