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SERVICES
THE INQUIRER COMPANY
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04
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23
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2024
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SERVICES
THE INQUIRER COMPANY
04
23
2024
Meralco, on successive defensive stops, opened a decisive lead entering the homestretch and subdued GlobalPort, 82-70, to break into the Top Six at the close of the PBA Philippine Cup elimination round at the Cuneta Astrodome Tuesday.
Holding a precarious 67-65 lead, the Bolts translated three steals into key baskets in a crucial spurt carrying Meralco all the way to No. 6 seeding in the post-elims play that begins Thursday in the same venue.
Meralco actually just tied Barangay Ginebra San Miguel and Purefoods from fifth to seventh places on their identical 6-5 win-loss cards. Upon the application of the PBA quotient to break ties, the Kings wound up No. 5, the Bolts No. 6 and the Hotshots No. 7
And, thus, the Bolts, like No. 3 Alaska, No. 4 Talk n Text and No. 5 Ginebra, gain twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals.
Quarterfinalists that need to win two in a row to make the semis are Purefoods Star, GlobalPort, Barako Bull and NLEX.
The Aces and the Road Warriors clash at 4:15 p.m., with the Bolts and the Hotshots facing off at 7 p.m. Thursday. The survivor in this bracket squares off with second seed Rain or Shine in the semifinals.
On Friday at the Ynares Sports Center in Antipolo, Talk n Text battles Barako Bull at 4:15 p.m. Ginebra and Globalport slug it out at 7 p.m. The last team standing in this group advances to the semis against top seed San Miguel Beer.
“The twice-to-beat advantage is good for us. We’re facing Purefoods, and we need all the advantage that we could have to beat the defending champs,” said Meralco coach Norman Black.
“Against GlobalPort, we played the kind of defense that I’m happy with. That bailed us out as our offense didn’t click that I would love to,” Black also said.
Black made special mention of Mike Cortez, Cliff Hodge and Sean Anthony who gutted it out to lead the Bolts versus the Batang Pier in a fierce, close encounter marked by eight deadlocks and nine lead changes.
The Bolts dished out a balanced game, negating the big productions of GlobalPort ace guards Stanley Pringle (19 points, nine rebounds, three assists and two steals) and Alex Cabagnot (18 points, five assists, four rebounds and one steal).
Meralco survived this virtual knockout game despite 15 free-throw misses and the Batang Pier’s 53-45 advantage on rebounds.
GlobalPort did a better job off the boards despite losing Jewel Ponferada on an injury following a collision with Hodge late in the third quarter. He was brought straight to the hospital after the game. (SB)
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