They were tired, exhausted and shorthanded, byt the gritty Meralco Bolts team still found little trouble in dispatching Converge, 116-88, on 4 September in the PBA 49th Season Governors’ Cup at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
The Bolts won their third straight game despite playing without Cliff Hodge, the latest addition to the team's injured list that already includes Allein Maliksi, Raymond Almazan, and Aaron Black.
Allen Durham took most of the heavy-lifting with 27 points, 14 rebounds, and six assists, while Chris Banchero had 12 of his 24 points in the second quarter as the Bolts wrested the solo lead in Group A with a 4-1 win-loss record.
The Bolts also got solid contributions from the likes of Anjo Caram and Alvin Pasaol in the blowout win that sent the FiberXers reeling to their third defeat in five games while playing without starting center Justin Arana.
Caram had 16 points including 11 in the third quarter, while Pasaol had 12 points - 10 of which came in the second half where the Bolts led by as many as 30 points, 114-84.
"What’s nice is that you have guys like Anjo, he is a pro and he is ready to play. Alvin played. The other guys who don’t really get as many minutes, they were huge in their contributions," said Meralco coach Luigi Trillo.
The 28-point victory is the largest for Meralco since its 111-81 win over San Miguel during the 2018 Governors' Cup, according to PBA statistics chief Fidel Mangonon.
Meralco protected a 53-40 lead at the half, then outscored Converge, 33-23, in the third on its way to an 86-73 advantage.
The win spoiled Converge import Scotty Hopson's 33-point outing on top of Alec Stockton and JL delos Santos chipping in 13 and 12 points apiece. The FiberXers slipped to 2-3.
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