Davis, Meralco take over 4th quarter to beat Rain or Shine

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – The Meralco Bolts’ best start to a conference in their franchise’s history turned another page for the better on Tuesday, February 10.

In what was their hardest victory of the 2015 PBA Commissioner’s Cup so far, the Bolts rallied from an 11-point deficit entering the fourth quarter thanks to the strong play of their import Josh Davis, who led his club past the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, 92-87, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

“It was the strong finish for us in the fourth quarter that really made the difference in the game,” said Meralco head coach Norman Black, whose team, now 4-0, is sitting atop the league standings.

Davis finished with 31 points, 14 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 blocks. Starting point guard Mike Cortez put up 13 points and 8 assists, but more importantly, he also played a major part in Meralco’s game-changing run in the fourth period.

Rain or Shine extended their lead to 13 thanks to a JR Quinahan triple, 76-63, in the early goings of the final quarter. The play resembled how the entire game had gone for the Elasto Painters up to that point: guys hitting threes that were uncontested.

“We also did not do a very good job of closing out on their shooters in the perimeter,” admitted Black.

Paul Lee, who entered Tuesday’s game shooting 57% from downtown this conference, went 4-of-9 and finished with 12 points in addition to 10 rebounds. ROS import Rick Jackson registered 22 points and 18 boards.

But he wasn’t able to stop Davis in the final quarter, as the San Diego State product helped Cortez spearhead the Bolts’ 19-4 run that changed what was supposed to be an easy lopsided win for their opponents into a competitive contest that went down the wire.

After a layup by Davis put his club up two, his free throws a few possessions later extended his team’s lead to 85-80. A three-pointer by Gabe Norwood at the 2:15 mark tied the contest at 87-all, but Rain or Shine would no longer score after.

A foul by Ryan Araña sent Sean Anthony to the line where he hit both charities. Not long after, a strong drive by Davis at the 1:11 mark garnered another foul, leading to Meralco’s lead extending to 4, 91-87.

Davis, whose biggest weakness entering this conference was his free throw shooting, shot 13-of-15 from the line on Tuesday. Black said after the game that his improved percentage at the line is a result of his resiliency in practice, where he takes 200 FTs a day.

“He was able to put points on the board for us and help us win the basketball game,” Black also said about Davis.

“I’m very, very happy with Josh Davis at this point. I have no complaints at all, that’s for sure,” he later added.

After the Bolts went up by four, Jackson missed on a hook shot. The Elasto Painters had another crack at trimming the lead following a defensive stop, but Lee clanked a transition 3-pointer which all but sealed the loss for his team.

“For us to step up and win against them is a big step for us,” Black said about Rain or Shine, whom he called a “powerhouse” team along with Talk ’N Text, whom Meralco defeated in their prior game.

Meralco will aim to go 5-0 on Sunday, February 15, when they battle with the GlobalPort Batang Pier (currently 1-2), who will field a new import in Calvin Warner.

“It’s a good start for us, but now we gotta concentrate on [GlobalPort],” said Black.

Rain or Shine fell to 2-2. They will be back in action on Saturday, February 14, when they face undefeated Purefoods (3-0) in Dipolog City.

The Bolts shot 44% from the field and limited the Elasto Painters to 37% shooting. Rain or Shine took 27 3-pointers and made 11, while the Bolts went 4-of-18 from downtown.

Meralco did a good job making their freebies at the foul line, going 22-of-27, but was out-rebounded, 52-43. The Bolts feasted on their opponents’ 15 turnovers, scoring 20 points off them, and took care of the ball with only 9 miscues from their side.

Coach Black’s boys also took every opportunity they could to score on the break, finishing with 16 fastbreak points. ROS only had 2.

Gary David played just 23:46 minutes but put up 11 points. Jeff Chan scored the same on 4-of-10 shooting, while Arana put up 10 points on only 7 shot attempts.

Scores:

Meralco (92) – Davis 31, Cortez 13, David 11, Hodge 10, Anthony 8, Wilson 7, Dillinger 6, Hugnatan 4, Ferriols 2, Reyes 0, Atkins 0, Ildefonso 0, Macapagal 0

Rain or Shine (87) – Jackson 22, Lee 12, Chan 11, Arana 10, Norwood 9, Tang 7, Uyloan 4, Almazan 4, Quinahan 3, Ibanes 2, Cruz 2, Belga 1, Tiu 0

Quarter Scoring: 22-27, 41-47, 62-73, 92-87

– Rappler.com