The Bolts' defense proved to be a tougher nut to crack in crucial moments.
Cliff Hodge anchored Meralco's tough stand to come out on top of their defensive duel against Magnolia with a nail-biting 86-84 victory in the 2023 PBA Governors’ Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Sunday, Feb. 26.
The Bolts, behind Hodge and import KJ McDaniels, put the clamps on the Hotshots whom they limited to just 13 points in the final frame to recover from a 12-point deficit at the start of the fourth quarter.
Hodge only finished with eight markers but had 12 rebounds, eight from the offensive boards in the night when he was also awarded for his 1000 offensive rebound milestone.
McDaniels showed the way offensively with 19 points – including the three pressure-packed free throws in the waning minutes which proved to be enough separation for Meralco to steal the win and improved their record to 5-3 while also snapping Magnolia’s four-game winning streak for an even 4-4 slate.
Chris Newsome added 16 points while Bong Quinto added 12.
The game turned out to be as just as expected according to Meralco head coach Norman Black especially with two defensive-minded teams battling it out. He, however, commended his charges to not giving up even after a horrendous third quarter where they allowed the Hotshots to put up 32 points on the board.
“It turned out to be what we thought be it would be, just a grind out type game, it wasn't very pretty because both teams really rely on a little bit more on defense than they do on their offense but we made some stops down the strech to made a difference on the game,” said Black.
“The guys stuck together tonight. I mean it was a chance for us to fall apart when we got down in the third. In the fourth quarterm the guys stuck together. They grinded it out. They came back and won the game in the end,” he added.
The Bolts trailed by as many as 12 points in the third quarter, 61-49, as the Hotshots got their offensive bearings going behind Paul Lee and Antonio Hester. Magnolia actually looked to be on its way to bagging its fifth consecutive win if not for McDaniels and Bong Quinto who combined for 14 of the team’s 23 points in the final frame.
The Bolts also made crucial stops towards the end, first when they forced Calvin Abueva to a travelling violation which led to McDaniels free throws and, lastly, bothering Paul Lee enough in his final three-point attempt at the buzzer.
Hester led Magnolia with 23 points and 15 rebounds although it wasn’t enough as he absorbed his first loss since joining the team. Lee chipped in 18 points while Jio Jalalon and Mark Barroca had 11 apiece.