By REYNALD MAGALLON
TNT fended off repeated rallies to send Magnolia packing with a 118-109 victory in the PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup quarterfinals at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Saturday, Dec. 27.
Meanwhile, Meralco zapped Rain or Shine with a scintillating first half, then held off a late fightback to secure a 96-79 victory and stay alive.
The Bolts caught the Elasto Painters flat-footed in the opening two quarters, building a lead that swelled to as much as 34 points before leaning on timely hits from Jansen Rios and Chris Newsome to douse ROS’ rally in the final frame.
It was total team effort for the Bolts as five players scored in double figures with Newsome, CJ Cansino and Cliff Hodge all scoring 14 points each while Rios and Aaron Black added 12 points apiece.
Save for the first basket of the contest, Meralco seized control from start to finish and hiked a commanding 52-44 lead late in the second quarter.
The big win, however, did not come without a scare as ROS came alive in the second half and trimmed the deficit to as clos as 12 several times in the final frame, only to be kept at bay by Rios, who converted a layup to push the lead to 86-72.
The Elasto Painters made another push by cutting the lead to 75-87, but Rios once again came through87 but Rios burying a booming right-wing triple.
That shot sealed the outcome as Newsome put the finishing touches on the win, lifting the Bolts to a victory that forced a winner-take-all Game 2 on Monday, Dec. 29, at the same venue.
Gian Mamuyac and Adrian Nocum were the lone bright spots for ROS with 17 and 16 points, respectively.
