Allen Durham is getting better and fitter as the tournament goes on. This is good news for the Meralco Bolts, but no an encouraging prospect for other teams. Northport knows this all too well.
In his fourth game in his latest tour of duty with Meralco, Durham delivered a near triple-double game spiked by 19 points in their big salvo in the third period en route to a 107-91 dispatching of NorthPort at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila last 1 September.
The three-time Best Import awardee finished with 34 points with 15 rebounds and nine assists, leading the Bolts in a jump to joint Group A lead with the TNT Tropang Texters at 3-1.
The Bolts chalked up a second straight win while slowing down NorthPort hotshot Arvin Tolentino and handing the Batang Pier a second loss against the same number of wins.
Chris Banchero added 23, Bong Quinto chipped in 18, including a team-leading 14 in the first half, while Anjo Caram contributed 10, all in the third.
On the offensive end, the Bolts helped one another as they held Tolentino to 21 after exploding for a career-high 51 in their last game in a follow-up to a near triple-double effort in a previous outing.
The Bolts also did a good job on NorthPort import Venky Jois whom they limited to paltry six points, five rebounds and three assists with two turnovers.
A telling blow for the Batang Pier was a 38-17 run unleashed by the Bolts in the third presided over by Durham and Caram with 19 and 10, respectively.
The Bolts were holding a slim 52-49 lead at the half before coming through with the killer attack to pull away, 90-66, going to the payoff period.
Coach Luigi Trillo's chargers hit at a 14-of-24 clip in their third-quarter breakaway as against the Batang Pier's 5-of-19 shooting.
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