MANILA The Meralco Bolts turned a close game into a rout in the fourth quarter as they dominated the NLEX Road Warriors, 91-84, in the PBA Commissioner's Cup Sunday night. Leading by just two points, 69-67, in the final frame, the Bolts unleashed a devastating 19-4 run to pull away, 88-71, with 5:25 left en route to their second straight win that allowed them to gain a share of the early lead, together with Rain or Shine, in the conference.
Jared Dillinger starred for Meralco with a team-high 20 points on top of four boards, and three assists.
Import Alex Stepheson tallied 18 markers, a team-high 24 rebounds, and three blocks.
Chris Newsome chipped in 15 points, four boards, and three assists. Reynel Hugnatan and Baser Amer added 13 and 12 markers, respectively.
Returning import Wayne Chism led the Road Warriors with 18 points and 17 rebounds, but shot a miserable 8-of-24 from the field.
Garvo Lanete added 14 markers that went for naught as NLEX absorbed its second straight loss to join Mahindra at the bottom of the heap.
It was another bitter defeat for NLEX as the Road Warriors appeared to be in control of the game up to the third quarter where they held a 10-point lead, 56-46.
However, the Newsome and Hugnatan sparked a 10-0 Meralco run that erased NLEX's lead.
The Bolts were even more explosive in the fourth quarter, which they started with a 12-0 run.
The Road Warriors tried to keep the score respectable with a belated 11-1 run before finally calling it a night.
Rain or Shine 99, Mahindra 95
The Rain or Shine Elasto Painters survived a tough challenge from the Mahindra Floodbuster before nailing a 99-95 victory in overtime.
It was the second straight win for the defending champions. The Floodbuster, on the other hand, absorbed their second straight defeat.
Import Shawn Taggart paced ROS with 29 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, and two blocks in 39 minutes.
Beau Belga and James Yap added 12 markers apiece while Jeff Chan chipped in 10 points.
The Painters were ahead by seven points, 77-70, with eight minutes left in the fourth quarter when Gary David scored all his 13 points, including three triples, in a 16-3 Mahindra run as the Floodbuster grabbed the lead, 86-80.
After a five-minute silence, ROS finally responded with an 8-2 run to tie the game at 88-all at the end of regulation.
The Painters took care of business in overtime with Taggart and Chan hitting crucial baskets to finally secure the win.
James White once again led Mahindra with 29 points on top of 21 boards, two assists, two blocks, and one steal in 44 minutes. The prolific import could've won the game in regulation, but his last-second jumper was off the mark. He also missed two crucial free throws in overtime that contributed to his team's collapse.
Games Wednesday: Star Hotshots vs. Phoenix Fuel Masters and Blackwater Elite vs. Alaska Aces
