MANILA — The Meralco Bolts barreled their way to their second straight win, beating the Alaska Aces, 100-96, Sunday night in the PBA Governors' Cup. Import Allen Durham once again paced the Bolts, pouring in 36 points on top of 15 rebounds and six assists. Chris Newsome added 19 points while Jared Dillinger and Reynel Hugnatan chipped in 13 and 11 markers, respectively. The Aces were also led by their import LaDontae Henton who finished with 33 points and 12 boards. Alaska sorely missed Calvin Abueva who was in civvies watching the game as coach Alex Compton opted to rest his Gilas-weary star forward at least for Sunday's game. Alaska led by as many as 10 points before Meralco came charging back to take a 48-46 lead at halftime. The Bolts sustained their fiery form in the second half, boosting their lead to 96-85 with 1:54 remaining. In typical Alaska fashion, the Aces roared to life in the last two minutes, knocking down a flurry of three-pointers to cut Meralco's lead to just three, 97-94, with 56 seconds left. Durham scored in the ensuing play, but Alaska's Vic Manuel answered with an undergoal stab, 99-96. After a defensive stop, the Aces had the chance to tie the game with a three-pointer but missed, allowing Newsome to seal the victory for Meralco with a split from the charity stripe. San Miguel Beer 124, Phoenix 113 The San Miguel Beermen showed devastating form, demolishing the Phoenix Fuel Masters, 124-113, to start their defense of their title with a win. Import Arizona Reid sizzled for 41 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and two blocks while two-time MVP June Mar Fajardo posted 21 points and 11 rebounds. Alex Cabagnot was also red-hot with 20 points, including three three-pointers while Marcio Lassiter added 12 markers. Phoenix absorbed its second straight loss but not before giving the defending champs the scare. Showing blistering firepower, the Fuel Masters led the Beermen, 69-64, at halftime. Led by import Marcus Simmons who finished with 28 points, the Fuel Masters even pushed their lead up to double figures early in the third quarter. The Beermen then responded with a crushing 19-1 run bridging the last two quarters that was too much for Phoenix to overhaul. New Phoenix acquisition Norbert Torres, formerly from Star, came out blazing with 19 points. Another new acquisition, Cyrus Baguio, formerly from Alaska, contributed 13 markers while two other new players Mark Cruz and Simon Enciso added 13 and 12 points, respectively. Games Wednesday: GlobalPort Batang Pier vs. Mahindra Enforcers and Tropang TNT vs. Rain or Shine Elasto Painters.
