Meralco Bolts hung tough in the endgame to pull off a tight 86-84 win over the Magnolia Hotshots on Sunday night, Feb. 26, in the 47th PBA Governors’ Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Bolts recorded their second straight win to move up to 5-3 (win-loss), while also ending the Hotshots’ streak of four straight wins. With the loss, Magnolia fell to 4-4.
Cliff Hodge scored just eight points but provided the Bolts with the needed hustle plays that saw him grabbing 12 boards, eight of them were offensive rebounds.
The workhorse forward also added three assists to snatch the Best Player of the Game honors.
KJ McDaniels top scored for the Bolts with 19 points, Chris Newsome finished with 16, while Aaron Black added 13 markers.
Bong Quinto scored 12 points and hit back-to-back triples in a crucial stretch in the fourth that aided the Bolts’ comeback from a 63-71 deficit to start the final period.
It was actually the Bolts who started strong as they posted leads of as many as 13 in the second quarter before suddenly cooling off.
Meralco erected a 37-24 lead inside the final five minutes of the second stanza but Magnolia came charging back and stole the upper-hand at the half, 39-37.
The Bolts staged their own rally in the fourth and successfully wrested the lead, 85-84, when McDaniels hit two free throws with 31 seconds left.
After a missed three-pointer by Rome Dela Rosa in the next play, McDaniels would hit another free throw that gave the Bolts an 86-84 lead with six seconds left.
Magnolia had the chance to steal the win but Paul Lee’s three-point shot missed the target as time expired.
Antonio Hester paced Magnolia with 23 points, while Lee added 18 markers.
Image courtesy of PBA Media Bureau
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