Laro ngayon (Smart Araneta Coliseum)
Season Awards
7:00 p.m. — Meralco vs. Ginebra
Kailangan ng Ginebra ng matinding adjustments para maiwasang mabaon laban sa red hot Meralco.
Balik sa Smart Araneta Coliseum mamaya ang mangkatunggali sa Game 4 ng PBA Governors Cup Finals.
Nasunod ng Bolts ang gustong laro ni coach Norman Black sa Game 3 at sinikwat ang 107-103 panalo tungo sa 2-1 lead sa best-of-seven duel.
Si Tim Cone, 48 minutes na dismayado dahil wala sa porma ang kanyang Gin Kings, hindi makasunod sa gusto niyang diskarte at hindi nasundan ang 82-79 win sa Game 2.
Sa larong iyon, siyam sa 12 3-pointers ng Bolts ay ibinaon nina Jimmy Alapag, Reynel Hugnatan at Cliff Hodge. Ang resulta: bumuka ang depensa ng Gin Kings kay Allen Durham, nabawasan din ng pressure sa opensa ang import.
Tumapos pa rin si Durham ng 36 points at 20 rebounds, may combined 35 points sina Alapag at Hugnatan at nagsumite ng 22 at seven assists si Chris Newsome.
“Offensively, we were able to do a lot of things we didn’t do in Game 2,” lahad ni Black.
“We had a lot more patience in getting AD (Durham) the ball and in moving the ball of out AD’s hands whenever they double team.”
Ang apat na tres ng Ginebra sa Game 3 ay galing lahat kay Justin Brownlee na tumapos ng 42 points mula sa pinakawalang 38 shots. May 10 points pataas sina LA Tenorio, Japeth Aguilar at Scottie Thompson, pero hindi kuntento si Cone sa performance ng kanyang team sa kabilang dulo ng court.
“Defensively we weren’t real good,” bulalas ni Cone, inamin na dismayado na sa team mula sa tipoff. “I just don’t think we played to our identity. If we’ve forgotten it, then we’ve got to remember it in a hurry because this thing is gonna get away from us if we’re not careful.”
Isa pang nakadagdag sa pagkadismaya ni Cone ay ang maagang foul trouble ni Sol Mercado na inatasan niyang bumantay kay Durham.
“I felt today that it just seems as if the referees have eagle eyes on him,” aniya. “The stuff he was doing the last game, he couldn’t do tonight and he picked up six fouls in what, 10 to 12 minutes of play? That was tough.”
Kung ganoon pa rin ang mangyayari, hindi raw nila mapipigilan si Durham. Pero hindi pa sumusuko si Cone.
“I’m not discouraged, it’s too early to get discouraged. But I am disappointed with our play.”